law school for journalists colorado bar association ken knox division of water resources march 13,...
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Law School for Law School for JournalistsJournalists
Colorado Bar AssociationColorado Bar Association
Ken KnoxDivision of Water Resources
March 13, 2007
COLORADOHISTORIC AVERAGE ANNUAL STREAM FLOWS
(acre feet)
OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEERCOLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
Prepared by the Hydrographic Branch (2003 Revision)Historic averages obtained from USGS Water-Data Report CO-02
YAMPA
WHITE
LITT
LE S
NA
KE
ELK
NO
. PLA
TT
E
CACHE LA POUDRE
SOUTH PLATTE
NORTH FORKREPUBLICAN
SOUTH FORK REPUBLICAN
NO. FORK
ARKANSAS
NO. FORK
UN
CO
MP
AH
GR
E
McELMO
MANCOS
LA P
LAT
A
AN
IMA
S &
FL
OR
IDA
LOS
PIN
OS
PIED
RA
SAN
JU
AN CONEJOS
PURGATO
IRE
GUNNISON
SAN MIGUELLA
RA
MIE
COLORADO
DO
LO
RE
S
RIO GRANDE
1,531,000
555,200
4,500,000
414,300
1,127,000
404,600
311,100111,800
37,100
36,890 25,580670,100 173,700 446,900
+291,200
235,800
322,100
653,300
394,300
153,000
593,600
172,000
219,800
943,000
330,500547,300
291,200
268,600
1,872,000
125,100
31,890
313,200 96,300
49,640
47,020
164,20089,820
699,200
528,200
879,800
413,200
329,200
45,590476,300
229,200
185,200
403,400
31,680
28,750
69,750
FO
UN
TA
IN
APISHAPA18,970HUERFANO
26,930
GR
AP
E24,933
BEAR
33,760
58,14688,051
63,038
126,800
270,500
204,400
404,400
875,600
265,800 99,500
634,500
ST. VRAIN
BOULDER
158,800
50,050
PIC
EA
NC
E
27,700
152,600
6
5
2
1
34
7
505,600
279,700
2,799,000
334,400
54,760 85,540
EA
ST
TO
WA
RD
AT
LA
NT
IC O
CE
AN
1
,37
3,0
00
af
WE
ST
TO
WA
RD
PA
CIF
IC O
CE
AN
8
,86
7,4
50
af
TOTAL LEAVING COLORADO 10,240,500 af
ROARINGFORK
EAGLE
BLUE
TOMICHI
SOU
THFO
RK
SAN JU
AN - C
HAM
A
94,180
At Benkelman, NE
1,530,000
560,000
310,000
4,500,000
510,000
1,780,000 320,000
110,000 400,000
164,000
YAMPAYAMPA
WHITEWHITE
COLORADOCOLORADO
GUNNISON
GUNNISON
DO
LOR
ESD
OLO
RES
SAN
SA
N
JUA
NJU
AN
ARKANSASARKANSAS
SOUTH PLATTESOUTH PLATTE
N. N. PLATTEPLATTE
LARAMIELARAMIE
RIO GRANDE
RIO GRANDEWEST SLOPEWEST SLOPEPopulation:467,000
Irrigated Acres:880,000
EAST SLOPEEAST SLOPEPopulation:3,869,000
Irrigated Acres:2,270,000
2000 PopulationIrrigated Acres and Flows
Water Management and Allocation
Water Rights– Surface water rights from rivers and streams– Reservoir storage rights– Ground water rights
Interstate River Compacts
Colorado’s Water Right System
Colorado uses the Prior Appropriation Doctrine which means those that first put water to use are entitled to get their water first during periods of water shortage. In Colorado water is a separate property right - that is it can be sold separately from the land. This is in contrast to the Riparian Doctrine that exists in the eastern part of the United States which recognizes water rights as being attached to the land.
Water Administration
• Water Allocation – 173,000 Water Rights– 105,000 Structures– 400,000 observations – 30,000 water diversions and storage records– 1500 court consultations– 50 court litigation – 420 subdivision review– 217 Substitute Water Supply Plans
In 1879, Colorado established Water Commissioners to distribute water rights in priority based upon principle of “First In Time... First In Right”
Reservoir Storage
Current Storage
(acre-feet)
Restricted Storage*
Total acre-feet (# Dams)
Division 1 1,787,810 33,900 (99)
Division 2 893,544 89,200 (31)
Division 3 297,261 9,700 (3)
Division 4 1,447,948 4,200 (28)
Division 5 1,166,040 2,990 (19)
Division 6 165,387 1,400 (11)
Division 7 665,356 1,460 (7)
Total 6,423,345 142,850 (198)
* August 20, 2002• 1990 – 2001: 49 new dams with a combined storage of 120,000 acre-feet• Division 2: Two Buttes 31,500 AF and Cucharas 33,000 AF; very
expensive reconstruction necessary
Major Aquifer Systems
GROUND WATER USE
AQUIFER AVERAGE ANNUAL SUPPLY
(Acre-Feet)
Denver Basin 80,000
South Platte Alluvium 600,000
Arkansas River Alluvium 150,000
San Luis Valley Aquifers 800,000
High Plains – Ogallala 1,000,000
Bedrock Aquifers – Mountains 70,000
TOTAL 2,700,000
18 States Rely on Colorado Water18 States Rely on Colorado Water
Interstate Compacts
Colorado River Compact - 1922La Plata River Compact - 1922South Platte River Compact - 1923Rio Grande River Compact - 1938Republican River Compact - 1942Costilla Creek Compact - 1944 (Rev. 1963)Upper Colorado River Compact - 1948Arkansas River Compact - 1948Animas-La Plata Project Compact - 1969
U.S. Supreme Court Cases
Nebraska v. Wyoming - 325 U.S. 589 (1945)Wyoming v. Colorado - 353 U.S. 953 (1957)
INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE DOCUMENTS AFFECTING COLORADO’S USE OF WATER
International Treaties
Mexican Treaty on Rio Grande, Tijuana,
and Colorado’s Rivers – 1945
1906 Convention with Mexico on the Rio Grande above Ft. Quitman,
Texas
SSTATETATE O OFF C COLORADOOLORADO I INTERSTATENTERSTATE CCOMPACTSOMPACTS
Methods of Allocating Water Among States1 Allocation of a portion of the long-term undepleted basin water
supply to each state on the basis of consumptive use (man-made depletions)
a Colorado River Compact - Acre-feet per year of depletionsb Republican River Compact - Acre-feet per year of depletions
2 Delivery of a portion of an indexed supply to the statelinea Rio Grande Compact - Variable index and delivery obligation
for calendar yearb La Plata River Compact - One-half of indexed flow to
stateline the next day
3 Application of Doctrine of Prior Appropriation across statelinea Costilla Creek Compactb South Platte River Compact
Thank YouThank You
http://www.water.state.co.us/