DiNatale Water Consultants RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OVERVIEW

 Based on CWCB Basin Implementation Plan Guidelines  Grassroots Process!  Rio Grande Basin Roundtable  BIP Steering Committee  BIP Subcommittees  Public Outreach  Water Administration  Agricultural  Municipal & Industrial  Environmental & Recreational SECTION 1 STATE WATER PLAN PROCESS RIO GRANDE BASIN’S ORGANIZATION

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION (SECTION 7) Outreach TypeNumber of Events / AttendeesLocation General Community Outreach Sessions7 Events 87 Attendees Total Basin Wide County Commissioners Outreach Sessions 7 Events 57 Attendees Total Basin Wide Group Outreach Sessions9 Events 314 Attendees Total Basin Wide Rio Grande Roundtable Meetings7 Events >300 Attendees Total Alamosa Basin Plan Subcommittee Meetings21 Total EventsAlamosa Newspaper Articles11 written 13 planned Distributed Basin Wide Radio Programs5 complete 7 planned Aired Basin Wide Water 101 BookletDistributed Basin Wide WebsiteAccessible statewide Action Plan for Education and Outreach Beyond 2014 Planned and DevelopedBasin Wide Rio Grande Basin Long Range Outreach Strategies Planned and DevelopedBasin Wide

 Geography  Land Ownership  Climate  History  Culture  Demographics  Economy  Water Resources  Water Administration  Environmental & Recreational Attributes SECTION 2 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE FOR ENTIRE PLAN

 Goals and Measurable Outcomes (G/MO) Identified - 3 month process  12 Subcommittee & full RGBRT meetings  14 Goals  8 Goals meet needs of all sectors (Ag, M&I, Water Admin & Env/Rec)  Only two goals are single purpose: Env/Rec SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

 Rio Grande Compact Compliance  Sustainability  Agriculture  Aquifers  Watershed & Soil Health  Infrastructure  Protect water rights  Protect & restore riparian, wetlands & aquatic habitats  Promote multi-purpose projects SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

 Basin strictly administers Rio Grande Compact, hence avoiding Law Suits with downstream states  Water rights, even those senior to the Compact, are subject to curtailment  Groundwater Management Subdistricts  Well Rules and Regulations WATER ADMINISTRATION

COMPACT CURTAILMENT OF DIVERSIONS A DAILY FACT OF LIFE Compact curtailment requires on average 30 to 40% of index flows to be delivered to state line

 Agriculture uses 99% of Basin’s water  Potatoes = $185 million per year  Highest value per acre production agriculture in Colorado  Agricultural direct revenues exceed $325 million per year AGRICULTURE

CHANGE IN AQUIFER STORAGE

 Agricultural community is taking action to form Groundwater Management Subdistricts  Replace depletions  Restore aquifer levels  Pending Well Rules and Regulations will profoundly affect the Basin’s economy  Initial projection will retire 40,000 irrigated acres in Subdistrict 1 to meet aquifer sustainability AGRICULTURAL CONSTRAINTS

 Watershed supports wildlife, recreation, agriculture and Compact deliveries  Diverse wetland and riparian systems  Critical habitat for many species  Waterways = high recreation and tourism values ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL

 Increased Municipal demand will be small  Aging infrastructure  Limited ability to finance rehabilitation or improve infrastructure  Municipalities pumping groundwater will have to augment depletions but maybe low  Increased Industrial demand will be small MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL

CHALLENGES TO MEETING WATER NEEDS (SECTION 5)  Climate Change Studies suggest  Flows reduced by 33%  Earlier runoff  Dust on Snow will impact hydrology  Beetle kill and forest fires will impact hydrology

BEETLE KILL Over 85 percent of Forested Lands have Insects or Disease

BASIN PLANNING MODEL  Considers changes in hydrology  Dust on snow, beetle kill, wildfire, climate change  Identify potential critical needs  Impacts of reduction of seasonal flows on water rights and aquatic and riparian habitats  Assist in decision making  Help identify and prioritize projects  Water management opportunities

Modeled Impacts on Future Hydrology

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

GIVEN THE LIKELY FUTURE, WHAT IS OUR ACTION PLAN?  Improve water management within constraints of Rio Grande Compact and Colorado Water Law  Retime compact and other deliveries for multiple benefits  Bring surface and ground water into balance  Restore aquifers  Agricultural improvements: optimize production and minimize consumptive use  Improve watershed and soil health  Protect and restore riparian areas and wetlands  Maintain and improve infrastructure  Reservoirs and diversion structures  Municipal

 Project Name  Location and Map  Sponsor(s)  Uses / Needs Met  BIP Goals / Needs Met  Description and Picture  Estimate Project Costs (2014)  Potential Funding Collaboration / Sources  Project Timeline & Budget  WSRA Funding  Project Beneficiaries PROJECT SHEETS

Project or Method TYPES Needs MetBasin Goals Met AgM&I Env/ Rec Water Admin Rio Grande Cooperative ProjectXXXX Trujillo Meadows ATM ProjectXXX Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project X X Formation of Remaining SubdistrictsXXXX Acquisition of Replacement Supplies for Pumping Depletions XXXX Retirement of Irrigated Lands Necessary to Comply with Aquifer Sustainability Rules XXXX Alternative Cropping Education and Promotion Program X X Restoration of West Fork Complex Fire Burned Areas XXXX Basin-wide Water Public Education Program XXXX Streamflow Forecast ImprovementsXXXX Rio Grande Initiative Conservation Easements X XX Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project XXXX EXAMPLE OF HOW PROJECTS MEET BASIN GOALS

EXAMPLE PROJECTS AND METHODS ProjectSponsor CostYears Total (000) Doppler Radar Weather Forecasting Project RWEACT, CWCB, USFS, NWS $375.0$62.5 Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project Conejos County, TU, State Land Board, Colorado Mountain Club, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado $30.0 $10.0 Mountain Home Reservoir Dam Repair Trinchera Irrigation Company $500.0 $270.0$230.0 Rio Culebra Community Watershed Plan Sange de Cristo Acequia Association $200.0 Rio Grande Cooperative ProjectSLVID, CPW$22,000.0 $1,625.0 $9,625.0$9,125.0 Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout County Coalition Project Colorado Counties of Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Conejos, Costilla, Alamosa, Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan, and Las Animas $21.0 $11.0$5.0

 Rio Grande Basin Roundtable supports the development of the Colorado Water Plan  Rio Grande Basin supports concepts developed by IBCC of the framework of an agreement on how a transmountain diversion project from west slope to front range could potentially move forward RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & COLORADO PLAN

OUR PATH FORWARD  The written draft Plan is not end goal, but beginning of next phase!  Continued communication, education and public outreach  Develop and implement Projects and Methods  Next steps:  Disseminate printed copies of the Draft BIP, hold public meetings and solicit feedback  Refine basin planning model and make model runs in response to requests  Resolve concerns with conflicting data sources  Refine Projects and Methods  Finalize Plan

 Citizens of the Rio Grande Basin  Members of the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable  Volunteers who contributed countless hours on the Basin Implementation Plan  CWCB Board and Staff  DiNatale Water Consultants  THANK YOU!