The Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District (ALPWCD) Celebrates Final Water Purchase from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority
Lake Nighthorse
By Elaine Chick
The Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District (ALPWCD) celebrates the Districts final purchase of the water from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority.
On Saturday, October 17th the ALPWCD held a celebration at the Tribute Gardens at Lake Nighthorse commemorating the final payment option of their incremental purchase from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWR & PDA) for their share of 700 AF of depletion purchased as part of the Animas La Plata Project.
First authorized by the U.S. Congress on September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537), the Animas-La Plata Water Project experienced a few decades of delays due in part to political concerns, farming claims, environmental challenges, cost overruns and government funding issues. A breakthrough to the delays came with the Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendments in December 2000 (Public Law 106-554).
Christine Arbogast, Kogovsek & Associates, lobbyist at that time with ALPWCD for the project, stated, “Advocacy is all about relationship. This project would not have happened if all of the partners for the project had not stuck together in that family relationship that is ALP.”
The Bureau of Reclamation began construction in 2003, with the reservoir filling to capacity on June 29, 2011 at a total cost of $500 million. Lake Nighthorse is named in honor of former United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo. The reservoir is part of the Animas-La Plata Water Project, providing water storage for tribal and non-tribal water right claim-holders on the Animas River in both Colorado and New Mexico.
The Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District was one of the seven original sponsors of the ALP Project: The other sponsors included the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Navajo Nation, State of Colorado, La Plata Conservancy District in New Mexico, and San Juan Water Commission in New Mexico.
The general purpose of the District includes, but is not limited to: "acquire and appropriate waters of the Animas and La Plata rivers and their tributaries and other sources of water supply by means of 'works' as defined in the 'Water Conservancy Act' and to divert, store, transport, conserve and stabilize all of said supplies of water for domestic, irrigation, power, manufacturing and other beneficial uses within and for the territory to be included in the District."
The ALPWCD Statutory Project Allocation was purchased in advance on behalf of local entities by the Colorado Water and Power Resource Development Authority. ALPWCD being one of those entities, worked for many years to make that incremental purchase from the Authority, and now that water is in local hands and is being put to use. ALPWCD has made subsequent sales of their portion of the original allocation of that water that provides multiple benefits to the community. One of ALPWCD’s principle missions is to develop water for the benefit of the local community, and that has happened!
The City of Durango has purchased the remaining amount of the original ALPWCD Project Allocation from the Authority to firm up their future water supplies, and the La Plata West Water Authority and Lake Durango Water Authority have made subsequent purchases of water from the Animas-La Plata District which is being put to use for rural domestic water in the western part of La Plata County.
The Animas-La Plata Project is managed by the ALP Operations, Maintenance and Replacement, Association, and includes representatives from the project participants. (ALPOM&R Association). Recreation at Lake Nighthorse is managed by the City of Durango in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Water projects can take decades to come to fruition, but after many years of hard work by countless individuals and organizations uses are occurring from this reservoir and associated project facilities. This is one more step in making the water in Lake Nighthorse of beneficial use to local communities!
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SWCD to Accept 2021 Grant Applications Nov 2-Dec 11, 2020
It's time to start preparing applications for SWCD's grant program! Applications for 2021 funding can be submitted starting November 2, 2020, but no later than December 11, 2020! If possible, please try to submit applications towards the beginning of this time frame to allow for staff to work with you on any outstanding questions.
The 2021 grant program guidelines and application form have been clarified slightly in response to board and public feedback. Both documents are now available on the SWCD website: https://swwcd.org/programs/financial-assistance-program/. The amounts available by category for the 2021 grant program are subject to board appropriation and still not final.
If you have any questions as you begin developing an application you can contact the Southwester Water Conservation District Office at 970-247-1302.
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SW Basin Roundtable Roundup
Below are some of the highlights of the October SW Basin Roundtable meeting:
By Laura Spann - Roundtable Recorder Notes
Officer Reports
Elaine Chick, Water Information Program, reported on the joint meeting between the Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC) and Public Education Participation and Outreach (PEPO) liaisons on October 21st and updated the Roundtable on progress toward completion of the educational video focused on southwest Colorado river basins. CWCB and IBCC reports were provided as part of other agenda items.
Elections
First Vice-Chair Brandon Johnson chaired the At-Large Election as Chair Ed Tolen was a candidate under consideration. The seven applicants for at-large seats made short presentations to the Roundtable.
The following applicants ran unopposed: Ken Beegles for At-Large Industrial Representative, Carolyn Dunmire for At-Large Recreational Representative, and Ed Tolen for At-Large Local Domestic Water Provider Representative.
Four applicants ran for the three remaining At-Large seats: Bill Frownfelter, Gretchen Rank, Gigi Richard, and Val Valentine. Roundtable members thanked Val Valentine for his many years of service and dedication.
Ken Curtis volunteered to serve as the IBCC Alternate Representative.
CWCB Update
Russ Sands, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), demonstrated features of the Water Plan Update engagement webpage. He also summarized recent changes to the Water Supply Reserve Fund (WSRF) guidelines and application submittal dates. Funds will now be distributed once a year to the WSRF State and Basin accounts rather than three times annually. The WSRF Basin accounts each received a $100,000 distribution in September, likely the last income for the next three years. The WSRF Statewide account will have a balance of $599,000 for the March 2021 board meeting, which is approximately $66,000 for each Roundtable.
Celene Hawkins reported that a principal topic of discussion at the September CWCB board meeting was Colorado River issues and demand management. She directed Roundtable members to the webpage which outlines current funding availability for various CWCB grant programs and encouraged applicants to move forward with Colorado Water Plan Implementation grants as that deadline is approaching. Celene is available to answer questions from any potential grant applicants in southwestern Colorado.
IBCC Update
Al Pfister, Ed Millard, and Mely Whiting summarized the joint IBCC-PEPO meeting on October 21st. There was a robust discussion of the Roundtable member survey results regarding which topics the IBCC should address in the coming years. It was clear there was statewide lack of understanding among Roundtable members regarding the role of the IBCC. Several topics emerged as priorities, including drought/climate change, Colorado River issues, regional planning and identified projects. It was noted that the survey included only three responses from southwest Colorado. Regarding the demand management feasibility investigation, the discussion has formed around three principle questions: can Colorado have a demand management program, how does Colorado have a program, and finally, should Colorado have a program.
IBCC members reported the recent meeting was one of the best so far and thanked the CWCB staff for their efforts to promote productive discussion. IBCC members solicited feedback regarding how to best report to and represent Roundtable members. It was suggested that IBCC members distribute the IBCC meeting recording, notes, or other documents for review, or potentially hold a de-briefing meeting after IBCC meetings that Roundtable members could attend.
Basin Implementation Plan (BIP) Update
Carrie Padgett, Harris Water Engineering, summarized progress on the Projects List update. Carrie solicited new Identified Projects and Processes (IPPs) by December 1st. The current IPP list is available on the Roundtable webpage. After all the IPPs have been submitted, the Roundtable will review and recommend new IPPs for inclusion on a quarterly basis. Among the next steps is identifying Tier 1 projects, which have clear cost estimates. The BIP Update is among the governor’s Wildly Important Goals. She also described goals and draft agenda for the upcoming Forest Health Workshop on November 19th from 3-6pm. Finally, Carrie outlined the upcoming Roundtable meeting schedule and next steps. The BIP subcommittee members provided comments on the process so far.
Colorado River Issues Subcommittee
Ken Curtis, Dolores Water Conservancy District, summarized the Colorado River Issues Subcommittee meeting in the morning, which included a presentation on the Upper Basin Demand Management Economic Impact Study in Western Colorado, an update from CWCB, a summary of the recent stateline delivery pilot release from Homestake Reservoir, and a discussion regarding the future of Colorado River hydrology. It was suggested that Roundtable meetings, subcommittee meetings, and other related events be posted on YouTube.
WSRF Funding Subcommittee
Mely Whiting summarized activities of the WSRF Funding Subcommittee, which met to make recommendations regarding distribution of the limited WSRF Basin Account funding available because of COVID-19 and recent reductions in severance tax revenue. The Roundtable discussed the subcommittee’s recommendations and made some adjustments as follows in bold:
- Stretch the WSRF Basin Account balance of $443,251 through FY2023 with the following general targets for fund distribution: FY2021 $64,000 (with $125,000 of funds already committed to projects for this fiscal year), FY2022 $189,000, and FY2023 $189,000;
- Consider WSRF requests at the November 19th Roundtable meeting in order to leverage statewide funds;
- Award grant funds only once per year;
- Award grant funds through a two-step process, with a meeting in March to hear all applications and an April meeting to select projects for approval;
- Keep the maximum project award amount of $25,00 but be prepared to reduce it;
- Require applicants to explain the level of urgency for funding and timeframe for use of grant funds, including the consequences of not obtaining funding within the requested timeframe; and
- Limit Basin Account contributions in applications that leverage statewide WRSF funds to the 10% required match or the $25,000 ceiling, whichever is less, unless circumstances warrant otherwise.
The following recommendation was tabled until the January Roundtable meeting: create a WSRF subcommittee to review grants for completeness and potentially make recommendations to the Roundtable before the April meeting.
The WSRF subcommittee did not reach consensus regarding one member’s concerns about a question in current Roundtable application materials: “What benefit(s) does the project provide? Are there multiple purposes? Note: this does not mean that a single purpose project would be rejected, but for major funding requests, addressing multiple use needs would be an advantage.” After some discussion, this topic was tabled to allow the WSRF subcommittee to develop definitions of benefits from multiple purpose projects and bring those recommendations to the January Roundtable meeting. In the meantime, these changes to WSRF funding consideration by the Roundtable and other updates will need to be incorporated in the application materials.
Upcoming Events via Zoom
Roundtable BIP Update, WSRF Grant Review November 19, 2020
Regular Roundtable Meeting January 28, 2021
Roundtable BIP Update February 25, 2021
Roundtable BIP Update or WSRF Grant Review March 25, 2021
Regular Roundtable Meeting April 22, 2021
Roundtable BIP Update May 27, 2021
Roundtable BIP Update June 24, 2021
For more SW Basin Roundtabel information visit the website here.
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How the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative (RMRI) is Taking Shape in the SW
The Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative (RMRI) held a virtual public meeting on October 29th to introduce the Southwest eight-member Steering Committee and update the public on future goals and work that is taking place now to increase the resiliency of SW Colorado forests to protect our water, wildlife, communities and recreation. The Steering Committee consist of: Mike Preston – former Dolores Water Conservancy District – General Manager/ SW Basin Roundtable, representing water interests; Aaron Kemple - Director of Forest Studies at MSI – representing Resilient Communities; Mark Loveall, Supervisory Forester – CSFS, representing Private and State Lands; Cody Robertson – NRCS, resource team lead for Durango, Pagosa and Ignacio Field Offices representing Natural Resources Conservation Service for Durango and Cortez; Matt Thorpe – Colorado Parks & Wildlife representing Wildlife & Recreation; Kara Chadwick – San Juan National Forest – Forest Supervisor; and Jason Lawhon – San Juan National Forest - RMRI Program Manager.
The Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative is a stakeholder-driven collaborative aimed at increasing the resilience of our forests, habitat, communities, recreation opportunities, and water resources across all lands in the Rocky Mountains. The initiative invited federal, state, local, private and non-profit partners from across Colorado to look across private and public lands at places where comprehensive management could make a significant difference in restoring forests and habitats; protecting communities; supporting recreation and tourism; and securing clean water for downstream users. 1
Co-convened by the National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Forest Service, RMRI mobilizes over 40 partners across Colorado to deliver cross-boundary solutions to three priority landscapes that were selected through our stakeholder driven process. RMRI partners are united by our four shared values: Restore forests and habitat, protect communities, support recreation and tourism, and ensure clean and secure water. 2
“The four RMRI values for Colorado are wildlife & forests, water, communities and recreation,” stated Patt Dorsey, National Wild Turkey Federation. “We recognized that with the population, wildfires, spruce beetle epidemic and these values, that a devastating wildfire could put our water supplies at risk, it could endanger people living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), it could hurt our recreation economy, we experienced that with the 416 fire and the highway being closed, and of course wildlife habitat.”
Fires have engulfed much of the West this summer. The Pine Gulch Fire in Colorado is now the state’s largest in history burning 139,007 acres. The Cameron Peak fire is nearing containment thanks to the snowfall over the weekend, as of Oct. 28th the fire destroyed 442 buildings.
It will take a concerted collaborative effort to proactively restore forest health and reduce fire risk across all landownerships. One of the goals of RMRI is to improve forest conditions and reduce fire risk across all ownerships.
The RMRI SW Steering Committee is identifying opportunities and barriers to restoration work across the nearly 800,000-acre Southwest project area, stretching 120 miles along Colo. Highway 160, including the towns of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos, Durango and the San Juan National Forest. The committee will draw heavily on the expertise and values from the local communities through a newly established Advisory Network, a group of dozens of local stakeholders, to help guide the steering committee toward local priorities and issues. This collaborative input will build a strong foundation for the 10-year implementation of RMRI in the Southwest.
Over 10 years, efforts could involve:3
- Mitigating 20,000 acres of private lands and associated infrastructure that have high fire risk; treating 290,000 acres of National Forest adjacent to communities;
- Protecting water quality and quantity in McPhee Reservoir; McPhee irrigates 75,000 acres of agricultural land and supplies drinking water to multiple towns, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
- Safeguarding the Dolores River, which supports sensitive native fish; provides a premier 200-mile boating opportunity; delivers water to the Colorado River to help meet obligations to the Lower Basin under the Colorado River Compact.
- Protecting the Animas, Mancos, Florida and Los Pinos rivers, and Lemon, Jackson Gulch and Vallecito reservoirs, which support recreation-based economies; supply agricultural and municipal water to Durango, Mancos, Mesa Verde National Park, Bayfield, Ignacio, the Southern Ute, and downstream New Mexico communities and the Navajo Nation.
- Helping communities to be more accepting of the role of wildfire and prescribed fire.
- Enhancing access and safety for the San Juan National Forests by clearing dead, dying and down trees from trails, and improving trailheads.
- Preserving diversity of wildlife habitat and wildlife connectivity.
- Supporting a growing wood products industry through development of markets; and
- Maintaining the economic viability of southwest Colorado communities through a vibrant recreation opportunity, established local industry, and a resilience to future disturbances.
For more information on the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative click here.
1 & 2 - From RMRI Website
3 - RMRI Fact Sheet
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San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) Invited Public Participation in Budget Decision
The San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) is in the process of developing their 2021 budget.
"We have developed our proposed 2021 budget to be used to set the framework for activities that we will implement in the accomplishment of our mission. Our mission is to ensure water resources are available for beneficial use to those who do provide water (such as the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District) for the community" stated Al Pfister, President SJWCD. "This may come in the form of consumptive uses like agriculture, municipal, fire protection, and industrial pursuits. This may also mean non-consumptive uses such as recreational, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics."
The public were invited to a meeting and hearing on Monday, to discuss the proposed 2021 budget. The main focus with their 2021 budget will be implementation of their Strategic Plan that will deal with the challenge of serving the water needs of the majority of Archuleta County.
The San Juan River, and its tributaries, contribute water needed to comply with local water rights user’s needs, as well as several interstate compacts (Colorado River Compact 1922, Rio Grande River Compact 1938, Upper Colorado River Compact 1948, others). How all these water rights needs are met can be complex. The Water District is responsible for ensuring the conditional water rights owned by the District taxpayers are utilized to meet their shared water needs. In order for the District to better understand how the taxpayers want that to happen, they need your input.
If you would like more information or want to discuss the budget and associated issues, please contact Al Pfister or any board member whose contact info is listed on the SJWCD website: http://www.sjwcd.org, under the “About Us” tab. The website also has the draft 2021 budget and draft Strategic Plan.
SJWCD hopes to finalize their Strategic Plan that outlines thier implementation of the statewide Colorado Water Plan in the next couple months.
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Request for Proposal
One (1) electronic copy of each proposal must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday December 18, 2020, to Mardi Gebhardt at Mardi.Geb@gmail.com.
Redmesa Reservoir is an on-channel reservoir located in La Plata County, Colorado on Hay Gulch, tributary to the La Plata River. The water supply stored within Redmesa Reservoir is used for the irrigation of crops by four Reservoir Ditches below Redmesa Reservoir.
Please refer to the RFP for project description, proposal requirements, selection criteria, project schedule, scope of services and interview process and selection. The contractor shall direct all questions to Mardi Gebhardt.
An electronic copy of the RFP documents will be available on November 16, 2020 and can be accessed using the following link (use Internet Explorer):
https://sgm118-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/bholiday_sgm-inc_com/EnyCpmVSg4RGj8lCRzoIYTkBQmFyIMAVO-ilIvM0WEq_OQ?e=WGXXda
All interested firms are requested to R.S.V.P for a Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting to Mardi Gebhardt by email at Mardi.Geb@gmail.com, by noon on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held in Durango, Colorado on December 2, 2020, at the office of SGM, 555 River Gate Lane, Suite B4-82, Durango, CO. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude in early afternoon, after a site visit.
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Water Connections - a Great Success
If you missed it you can view the recording from the link below.
More than 100 people signed on for “Water Connections: SW’s Virtual Water Cooler,” a virtual event hosted by the Southwestern Water Conservation District and Four Corners Water Center at Fort Lewis College. The event featured speakers from around the State and locally, including Kate Greenberg, Commissioner Colorado Department of Agriculture, and a host of others. It offered an opportunity for engagement and learning focused on COVID-19 impacts to the state budget and agricultural industry, water year 2020 hydrology and drought experiences, and the future of the Colorado River basin.
Throughout the event, useful links, contact information, and speaker bios were shared in the chat. Those resources have been organized in the following document:
Water Connections Chat Links, Contact Info, Bios.
If you missed the event, please click here see the full recording on the SWCD website.
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Update from the Joint Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC) and Public Education, Partisipation and Outreach (PEPO) Meeting
By Elaine Chick
A joint meeting of the IBCC and PEPO met on October 21st to included discussions around the future work for IBCC, the integration of PEPO and IBCC, Demand Management Updates, and a report on the Homestake Release. The PEPO meeting covered PEPO role and aspirations, DM Outreach, Integration with Basin Implementation Plans, and the Future of PEPO.
The Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC) is a 27-member committee established to facilitate conversations between basins and to address statewide issues.
Russ Sands, CWCB and Russ George, IBCC Director, reported on the importance of education, the roles and integration of Public Education, Participation and Outreach (PEPO) & IBCC, and how it was outlined in HB-1177 – “The IBCC shall develop a Public Education, Participation, and Outreach working group.” The function of PEPO is to create a process to inform, involve and educate the public on IBCC activities, and to create a mechanism by which public input and feedback can be relayed to the IBCC. Discussions continued around how there could be more collaboration and inclusion between the PEPO liaisons and the IBCC and Roundtables.
November 19th is the 5-year anniversary of the Colorado Water Plan, as well as 15 years of the IBCC, PEPO and the basin roundtables. CWCB has a new interactive community engagement website: engagecwcb.org, where you can stay informed on the Colorado Water Plan and get involved.
Water Supply Reserve Fund (WSRF) Grants
The WSRF Program provides grants and loans to assist Colorado water users in addressing their critical water supply issues and interests. The Basin Account funds water activities from a basin roundtable. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) evaluates applications for the Basin Account to ensure the Threshold Criteria are met.
In September 2020, the CWCB announced a three-year spending plan to manage grant funds in light of declines in state budget due to COVID-19 and severance taxes generated by the oil and gas industry. Under the three-year plan, basin roundtables are not expected to receive WSRF distributions for at least three years (FY 21, 22 and 23). Funds will now be distributed once a year to the WSRF State and Basin accounts rather than three times annually.
To find out more information on application deadlines and criteria for WSRF grant funds, connect with your local basin Roundtable. Click here for the SW Basin Roundtable and go to the Water Supply Reserve Fund and Other Grants section.
Big Water Issues
Amy Ostdiek, CWCB, reported on the Demand Management Feasibility investigation. Funding and Equity in Demand Management continue to poll high. The other big topic was the Bureau of Reclamations look back and renegotiation of the 2007 Interim Guidelines.
IBCC Priorities
Kate Weismiller, CWCB, summarized the future priorities for IBCC that came back from a survey given to all of the Colorado basin Roundtables. The top six priorities listed are Drought/Climate Change; Big River Issues; Demand Management Equity; Forest/Watershed Health; Regional Planning/Identified Projects and Processes (IPP’s); and Funding. The survey list was more extensive; however, these were the top priorities. Each Basin Roundtable representative reported on their basins survey results.
PEPO
Education and Outreach is critical to Colorado. Discussion engaged around PEPO’s roles, funding for the PEPO program, how members help support communications and where are there new opportunities.
The entire meeting was recorded on Zoom and is available to watch on YouTube here.
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Commissioner to Review Colorado River Guidelines, Protect State's Water Users
Press Release from the Colorado Water Conservation Board
November 3, 2020 (Denver, CO) - The State of Colorado is currently reviewing the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Report, “Review of the Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead,” recently released on October 23.
Colorado officials, including Upper Colorado River Commissioner Rebecca Mitchell, are currently reviewing the report in detail to ensure the state’s interests and priorities are reflected. While the Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for developing this report, input from the Colorado River Basin States, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations is critical.
Public comments on the report are due on November 13, and can be submitted via online comment form, email, or by mail.
“As Colorado’s Commissioner to the Colorado River, it is my goal to ensure Colorado’s priorities are incorporated in the Bureau of Reclamation’s effectiveness review so that our state is set up for success as we begin to renegotiate the 2007 Interim Guidelines for Coordinated Operations. This includes providing additional security in the Colorado River System and protecting our water users for years to come,” stated Commissioner Mitchell.
For regular updates on the process of the Colorado River Interim Guidelines renegotiations, continue to visit the Colorado Water Conservation Board website: cwcb.colorado.gov.
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Recordings Available from the 10th Annual Upper Colorado River Basin Water Forum
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USDA Invests $891 Million in Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements in 43 States
USDA Press Release
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a press release on October 27, 2020, stating that they are investing $891 million to modernize rural drinking water (PDF, 465 KB) and wastewater infrastructure in 43 states.
The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less
As it relates to Colorado, the Town of Estes Park is being awarded a $7.7 million loan and a $2.4 million grant to improve and expand the Glacier Creek Water Treatment Plant. After the improvements are completed, the plant will be the sole source of water treatment year round, providing clean drinking water to 8,791 people in the Estes Valley. The improvements will also bring the plant back into compliance with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment drinking water disinfection requirements.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.
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The WIP lending library has more than 200 water-related books and videos available for checkout. Stop by the office to find a book or DVD of interest to you to check out for free!
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