AGENDA: Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers

The permanent transfer of water from agricultural users to municipalities has become a common feature of water management in several western states. In many cases, these voluntary market‐based transfers provide significant benefits to both the buyers and sellers, but many third parties—including remaining irrigators, rural businesses and communities dependent upon agricultural economies—have been negatively impacted. While some impacts of these so‐called “buy and dry” transfers are largely unavoidable, many can be lessened by temporary arrangements that only shift water to cities in years when municipal supplies are inadequate, such as drought and post‐drought storage recovery, and by consolidating individual farm‐to‐city water transfers within a regional framework where cumulative impacts can be anticipated and mitigated. Additionally, regional water transfer frameworks can potentially reduce the transactions costs (e.g., legal and engineering expenses, approval time) associated with shifting water, making water transfers a more cost‐effective mechanism for cities adapting to the challenges associated with growth and climate variability. In May 2008, the Lower Arkansas Valley “Super Ditch” Company was established to play this role in the active water market in southeastern Colorado, building upon the experiences and innovations of other regions—namely, the Palo Verde Irrigation District in Southern California, and the Fremont‐Madison Irrigation District in Idaho. This workshop will provide a review of the experience in these three regions

AGENDA: Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers

The permanent transfer of water from agricultural users to municipalities has become a common feature of water management in several western states. In many cases, these voluntary market‐based transfers provide significant benefits to both the buyers and sellers, but many third parties—including remaining irrigators, rural businesses and communities dependent upon agricultural economies—have been negatively impacted. While some impacts of these so‐called “buy and dry” transfers are largely unavoidable, many can be lessened by temporary arrangements that only shift water to cities in years when municipal supplies are inadequate, such as drought and post‐drought storage recovery, and by consolidating individual farm‐to‐city water transfers within a regional framework where cumulative impacts can be anticipated and mitigated. Additionally, regional water transfer frameworks can potentially reduce the transactions costs (e.g., legal and engineering expenses, approval time) associated with shifting water, making water transfers a more cost‐effective mechanism for cities adapting to the challenges associated with growth and climate variability. In May 2008, the Lower Arkansas Valley “Super Ditch” Company was established to play this role in the active water market in southeastern Colorado, building upon the experiences and innovations of other regions—namely, the Palo Verde Irrigation District in Southern California, and the Fremont‐Madison Irrigation District in Idaho. This workshop will provide a review of the experience in these three regions

AGENDA: Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry

In many pockets of the American West, stresses and demands on water resources are overwhelming our capacity to effectively manage change and accommodate the diversity of interests and values associated with our limited water resources. This event will offer an opportunity for lawyers, policymakers, and water professionals to engage the experts on the challenges and emerging solutions to the most pressing water policy and management issues of the day

AGENDA: Navigating the Future of the Colorado River

Competition for scarce Colorado River water resources is nothing new, but the conflicts that prompted the seven basin states to negotiate the 1922 Colorado River Compact have grown considerably fiercer and more complex in recent decades. In 2007, responding to the challenges of increasing demand and sustained drought, the seven basin states and a number of other affected interests agreed to a set of interim guidelines for allocating Colorado River water in the event of shortages. This agreement represents an important evolution in the governance of the Colorado River, suggesting that the many interests in the basin can work together to address shared risks, concerns, and needs. Yet, an increasing number of experts predict that this agreement alone will not be sufficient to address the many challenges ahead. This conference examined current laws and policies governing Colorado River management, highlighted new developments and studies that will inform future decisions, and explored a broad range of options for addressing the identified challenges and opportunities. This forward-looking conference focused on one broad question: What future do we envision for the Colorado River, and what will it take to get there

AGENDA: US-Mexico Negotiations on Improved Colorado River Management: An Update

The United States and Mexico are currently negotiating an international accord on a variety of Colorado River water matters, including the prospects for new water projects, conservation efforts, and operational improvements. Participants are invited to hear an update on these efforts from individuals directly involved in the negotiations, including Mario López Pérez, Engineering and Technical Standards Manager in the National Water Commission of México, who is responsible for binational water issues with the USA, Guatemala and Belize

AGENDA: Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Colorado River is the primary surface water resource of the Southwest, providing water to approximately 30 million residents. Studies and policy decisions associated with a recently completed EIS point to an ever-tightening water supply due to longstanding growth pressures exacerbated by significant climate change impacts. Given these trends, how can the river’s environmental needs be satisfied? On March 21st, the Center’s Western Water Policy Program brought together four leading Colorado River experts along with an audience of approximately 70 water professionals to discuss “Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.” Presentations by Brad Udall (Director, NOAA/CU Western Water Assessment), Terry Fulp (Deputy Regional Director U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River Basin), Robert Adler (Professor of Law, University of Utah), and Jennifer Pitt (Senior Resource Analyst, Environmental Defense) provided an overview of the complex issues, and set the stage for the follow-up workshop held later that afternoon. The event was part of the Center’s long-standing “Hot Topics in Natural Resources” series

Respective Obligations of the Upper and Lower Basins Regarding the Delivery of Water to Mexico: A Review of Key Legal Issues

65 p. ; 29 cmhttps://scholar.law.colorado.edu/books_reports_studies/1007/thumbnail.jp

AGENDA: Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Colorado River is the primary surface water resource of the Southwest, providing water to approximately 30 million residents. Studies and policy decisions associated with a recently completed EIS point to an ever-tightening water supply due to longstanding growth pressures exacerbated by significant climate change impacts. Given these trends, how can the river’s environmental needs be satisfied? On March 21st, the Center’s Western Water Policy Program brought together four leading Colorado River experts along with an audience of approximately 70 water professionals to discuss “Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.” Presentations by Brad Udall (Director, NOAA/CU Western Water Assessment), Terry Fulp (Deputy Regional Director U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River Basin), Robert Adler (Professor of Law, University of Utah), and Jennifer Pitt (Senior Resource Analyst, Environmental Defense) provided an overview of the complex issues, and set the stage for the follow-up workshop held later that afternoon. The event was part of the Center’s long-standing “Hot Topics in Natural Resources” series

Colorado River: Frequently Asked Law & Policy Questions

iii, 35 p. ; 29 cmhttps://scholar.law.colorado.edu/books_reports_studies/1005/thumbnail.jp