Happy (calendar) New Year!
It's the start of a new year on the calendar for all of us, but it's not the new year for water resources. The new Water Year starts on October 1st. Why?
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“In Colorado, the Water Year (October 1 through September 30) is the most appropriate period for monitoring climate. This 12-month period is directly correlated with the state’s water storage—water usage cycle. In October, snow usually begins to accumulate in the high mountains. As winter progresses, the snowpack normally continues to build up. This snow is the frozen reservoir which supports the huge ski and winter recreation industry. Eventually, it supplies much of the water for human consumption, for extensive irrigation, for industry, and to satisfy long-standing steam flow compacts with neighboring states. Irrigated agriculture still accounts for the vast majority of water used in Colorado. Therefore, demand for water peaks during the summer and tapers off as temperatures drop, crops are harvested, and autumn arrives. September marks an appropriate end to the water year.”
-- Nolan Doesken and Thomas McKee
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Traditionally at the new year, we make goals for the next year. As the months pass and you go to the gym less or substitute candy for vegetables, remember that our state set goals in Colorado's Water Plan and our water resources are working hard year-round. We, too, must continue to work year-round to achieve these water goals, even if we slack on our new year's resolutions.
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SMART THINGS SAID BY SMART WATER PEOPLE
Patti Wells, Metro Representative on the CWCB Board and General Counsel for Denver Water, has a passion for One Water.
"One Water is integrated because it takes a holistic approach to all forms of water: drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, reclaimed and reused water, rainwater and stormwater." -- Patti Wells, Denver Water
Patti gives us the insider's perspective of One Water in her article.
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 Want to learn more about water reuse and its relation to public health and water planning?
Dig into the newest Headwaters issue - Renewing Trust in the Safety of Public Water - produced by the Colorado Foundation for Water Education. |
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If only this were true, but we know it's more complicated than that. A major component of our current and future water challenges is funding. The CWCB Finance Section gives you the lay of the land for our agency, state, and long-term funding in Understanding Funding.
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What you missed at the January 2017 Board meeting
Thank you, Directors Hamel, Montgomery, and Smith!
After serving six or more years on the Board, Directors Alan Hamel, April Montgomery, and Travis Smith attended their last Board meeting. Their leadership, thoughtfulness, and wisdom are appreciated by not only the CWCB, but also the entire State of Colorado.
Read more!
- Colorado’s statewide snowpack is above average. As of January 20th, the snowpack is at 155 percent.
- Since the 2013 flood, the Board has approved $22,978,257 in emergency flood loans.
- The Board approved a grant request of $175,000 for the “Upper Gunnison Basin Watershed Assessment and Management Planning: Initial Steps for Ohio Creek, East River, and the Lake Fork Sub-basins.” This grant is part of the Colorado Watershed Restoration Program (CWRP) that is designed to provide planning and project implementation funding for watershed and stream restoration and protection efforts.
- The Board formed its intent to appropriate an instream flow (ISF) water rights on 13 stream segments and natural lake level water rights on two natural lakes in Water Divisions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. These stream segments and natural lakes are located in Park, Las Animas, Gunnison, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Routt and Moffat Counties.
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the CWCB presented on the State Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Program. The ANS program helps protect the state’s natural resources, outdoor recreation, and water supply infrastructure by preventing the spread of invasive species, including zebra and quagga mussels. Colorado has prevented the introduction of invasives through watercraft inspection, decontamination, monitoring, education, and enforcement actions. The ANS program faces funding cuts in the coming years due to severance tax shortfalls. The Board asked CWCB staff to come back before the Board with proposals for ways to help support this crucial program.
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Get to Know the IBCC
November 29 // Ag Water Summit
The IBCC and Colorado Ag Water Alliance (CAWA) held an Ag Water Summit on November 29th with 175 participants from across the state. The summit was geared towards identifying concrete ways to achieve the measurable objective in Colorado’s Water Plan to share at least 50,000 acre-feet of agricultural water using voluntary ATMs by 2030.
Panel discussions and breakout groups narrowed in on a number of key issues and related recommendations. Location of both the agricultural water rights and new potential lessees was one of the key primary considerations to successful ATMs. In addition, the transparency of water sharing transactions, mutually beneficial financial terms, and the presence of long term willing buyers were identified as key components. Finally, the need for storage and other infrastructure was established as the critical predominate factor necessary for successful ATMs. Summary materials from the Ag Water Summit and a number of related reports and studies on ATMs are available on Colorado's Water Plan website. In addition, the recently released 2016 Annual Report for the successful Catlin Canal Rotational Land Fallowing-Municipal Leasing Pilot Project is available here.
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Colorado's Water Plan
Read all about Colorado's Water Plan implementation in the newest fact sheet!
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Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) Update
The forthcoming updated version of SWSI will have a technical focus on data and analysis. SWSI forms the technical foundation of the Basin Implementation Plans and Colorado's Water Plan. In February 2017, the CWCB Project Management Team, Consultant Team, and Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) will start developing the methodologies, which will build upon previous efforts and expand to include scenario planning, climate change, conservation impacts, and agricultural and nonconsumptive gaps. Once the refined methodologies are finalized, data collection, analysis, and documentation will take place throughout the remainder of the year. The updated SWSI analysis is scheduled to be finalized by December 2017.
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Colorado Inventory of Assets - Nexus of Water & Innovation
The Open Water Foundation (OWF) is conducting a survey to complete a statewide “Inventory of Assets” to connect the dots around the region and between the water sector at the intersection of water innovation. This effort will help our Colorado community tackle the complex water challenges we face by understanding the gaps and assessing opportunities in the water innovation ecosystem. This survey asks critical questions to help form an organized water innovation coalition to support Colorado's water sector.
We need your help to collect this data, so please complete the survey or send to other stakeholders by March 15th. For more information, contact Louann DeCoursey at louann.decoursey@openwaterfoundation.org.
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Innovation Highlight: SinkTwice
Innovation is sparked by challenges of all shapes and sizes.
Learn about how one family used an empty cardboard pizza box and a pie pan to turn their toilet tank lid into a hand washing innovation in A New Way Forward: SinkTwice. SinkTwice is an innovation inspired by the next generation of Coloradans, manufactured by Coloradans locally, and designed to address the water challenges all Coloradans face.
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CWCB Welcomes New Program Manager in Water Supply Planning Section: Megan Holcomb
 Megan Holcomb is an interdisciplinary hydrologist specializing in watershed management, water quality modeling, and disease ecology. She is an avid traveler, salsa dancer, dog mom, and grammar nerd. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Megan has lived in 7 cities in the past 7 years; most recently she spent a year in Washington D.C. as a research fellow with the EPA evaluating climate change scenarios across 20 major US basins (incl. the Platte and Rio Grande). Megan received a masters at Virginia Tech in Water Quality and Coupled Human-Environmental Systems and her bachelors from Ohio State University in Environmental Science. Since living in Denver, Megan has been extremely active in local entrepreneurial networks, managing grants, providing editing services, and test-driving her own social enterprise around resilient landscape design.
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Colorado Foundation for Water Education's New Executive Director: Jayla Poppleton
The Colorado Foundation for Water Education has hired its very own Jayla Poppleton. Jayla had previously overseen CFWE’s content program, including all print and digital educational resources. She had also served as senior editor for Headwaters magazine since 2009, and during that time worked with hundreds of members of Colorado’s water community to inform and develop the publication’s content.
“Jayla brings a deep understanding and commitment to CFWE's mission and has many thoughtful ideas for moving the Foundation forward strongly. We are so excited to have Jayla in this role and look forward to working with her to usher in the next chapter of CFWE’s work to provide impactful water education in Colorado. Please join me in welcoming Jayla as CFWE’s new Executive Director!”
-- CFWE Board President Eric Hecox
There are many ways to GET INVOLVED with the CFWE in this next year!
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Telling the North Platte's Story // Deb Alpe, PEPO Liaison
Telling our basin stories and engaging Colorado citizens in educational opportunities is easier to accomplish when we use a little creativity! Our Basin Implementation Plans are full of so much technical information that it’s difficult to know where to begin. The North Platte Basin Roundtable recently completed a year-long Education Action Plan project with videographer, Christi Bode of Moxicran Media. Featuring all seasons of the water year in the North Platte River Basin, the video highlights important aspects of the plan, vividly illustrating consumptive and non-consumptive uses, as well as addressing the assets and challenges of the basin.
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Take a peek, share it with your friends, and help the North Platte Basin Roundtable circulate it widely within and beyond Colorado!
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Water Rate Workshops
The CWCB and Alliance for Water Efficiency have developed two Financing Sustainable Water Workshops that will be hosted in February in Glenwood Springs and March in Lakewood. Developing rate structures that successfully balance revenue management, resource efficiency, and fiscal sustainability is becoming more challenging than ever in a world of scarce supply, volatile weather, and declining demand. Participants will learn from experts about resources and strategies that can help Colorado water managers navigate these challenges.
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A LITTLE MORE BEFORE YOU RUNOFF
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CWCB to Receive Colorado Trout Unlimited's 2017 River Stewardship  Award
Colorado Trout Unlimited will present its 2017 River Stewardship Award to the Colorado Water Conservation Board in recognition of the CWCB’s leadership in promoting river and watershed health statewide. Come celebrate the hard work of many partners statewide on March 9 at the Gala.
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Governor's Dashboard
The Governor’s dashboard provides a summary of how our state is doing across our five priorities that fulfill the vision of a truly Healthy Colorado across our people, our economy, our communities and our environment. Check it out.
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Senators Call for Tax Relief for Water Conservation Rebates
“There are many challenges impacting our nation’s water supplies, and it is imperative to maintain the effectiveness of incentives for residents to participate in water efficiency and storm water management programs. We would like to request that you clarify that in cases where a public utility can attest to energy savings from water conservation and storm water management measures, such rebates issued by a public utility can be excluded from gross income under Section 136. This is in line with the process many utilities already follow for energy conservation measures.” Learn more.
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