Western Colorado Water Overview

Making ‘Business Cents’ of Colorado WaterMay 15, 2017Dr. Gigi A. RichardDirector, Hutchins Water Center at CMUProfessor, Geology

• How do you use water directly in your business?• Which is your biggest water use in your business?• Where does your water come from?• How do you use water indirectly in your business?

Introduce yourself to the others at your table. Discuss your answers.

Amongst your group, what are the biggest water uses?

2017 Water Year

Oct 1 2016

Sept 302017

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

2016 2017

Water year is named for the year in which

it ends

How to define “normal”?19

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1971-2000 = 30 years

1981-2010 = 30 years

We often compare hydrologic and meteorologic data to the average of a recent 30-yr period

“The new normal” = warmer, drier, lower streamflow

Warmer, drier and lower streamflow than 1970s

Hydrology and Water Use of Colorado and the Colorado River Basin

Image credit: Colo. Foundation for Water Education

Colorado’s Water Supply

Grand JnctAverage Precipitation ≈ 9 in/yr

Colorado AvgPrecipitation ≈ 15.5 in/yr

Colorado’s climate varies spatially and temporally

Monthly temperature and precipitation, avg. 1971-2000

Blue bar = mean monthly precip, in (right axis)

Red line = mean daily max T for each month

Blue line = mean daily min T for each month

From Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation, produced by Western Water Assessment, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Aug 2014

Climate & Hydrology of the Colorado River

Basin34% of watershed receives < 10 in/yr

84% of watershed receives < 20 in/yr

Most of the runoff is produced by only 15% of the drainage area

Fassnacht 2006

How does this precipitation regime translate into timing of streamflow?

Upper Colorado River Basin

Lower Colorado River Basin

Fassnacht 2006

How does this precipitation regime translate into timing of streamflow?

Upper Colorado River Basin

Lower Colorado River Basin

Annual Hydrograph at CO-UT state line

Data from usgs.gov

(1951-2013)

Colorado River at CO-UT State Line

Colorado River near 29 Road in Grand Junction

http://grandcanyon.com/

https://www.canyonology.com/running-grand-canyon-1983-flood/

1983 in the Grand Canyon

1983-1986 were wet years

Streamflow data from usgs.gov

Colorado River at CO-UT State Line

(1951-2013)

Yampa River at Deerlodge, June 11, 2011, 23, 600 cfs

Yampa River, June 8, 2011, 19,600 cfs at Maybell

6th highest flood at this gage

Streamflow data from usgs.gov

Colorado River at CO-UT State Line

(1951-2013)

Lowest peak flow on record at this gage

Streamflow data from usgs.gov

Variability in timing and distribution of precipitation result in variable streamflow and availability of surface water supply

15

80-90% of the Population

What do we do when we don’t have

water when and where we need it?

80% of the Water

From Colorado’s Water Plan, Draft, December 10, 2014, Prepared by Colorado Water Conservation Board

From High Country NewsPhoto by Peter McBride

Blue Mesa Dam and Reservoir940,700 ac-ft capacity

1.7 maf

3.8 maf

Lake Granby (539,800 ac-ft), Shadow Mtn. (18, 400 ac-ft) and Grand Lake

Dillon Dam and Reservoir257,000 ac-ft capacity McPhee Dam and Reservoir

381,195 ac-ft capacity1.8 maf

1.1 maf

2.9 maf

From High Country NewsPhoto by Peter McBride

“…most regulated river in the world”

1.7 maf

27 maf

29 maf

3.8 maf

1.1 maf

2.9 maf

Glen Canyon Dam, 1963

Lake Powell 27 million ac-ft storage capacity

Hoover Dam, 1935Lake Mead 29 million ac-ft storage capacity

Photos by Peter McBride

Total storage capacity is now 60 million ac-ft ≈about 4 times the long-term mean annual flow at Lees Ferry (USBR 2012)

http://www.usbr.gov/lc

All-American CanalPhoto from Nasa.gov

Colorado River AqueductLos Angeles & San Diego

http://www.nydailynews.com/

Central Arizona Project

Consumptive use has increased to about 90% of the long-term average annual flow at Yuma (Schmidt 2007)

Oct.1921

Natural Variability

Filling Lake Powell

1983 Flood

Controlled Variability

Resulting impactsHydrology

Sediment supply & channel morphology

Ecological – riparian & aquatic

Water Quality

From VanSteeter & Pitlick 1998

4 endemic endangered fish species

Q↓ T↑ DO↓Salinity ↑Selenium ↑

Invasive speciesHabitat alteration

Peak flows ↓Base flows ↑Total flow↓

Channel simplification

Use ac-ft/yrPublic Supply 950,000

Domestic Fresh 42,500

Irrigation 10,900,000

Livestock 41,300

Aquaculture 137,000

Industrial 146,000

Mining 32,000

Thermoelectric 86,300Total 12,335,100

How do we use water in Colorado?

Data from Kenny, J.F., Barber, N.L., Hutson, S.S., Linsey, K.S., Lovelace, J.K., and Maupin, M.A., 2009, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1344, 52 p.

Irrigation89%

How does Colorado’s water use compare with other states?

Figure from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

Irrigation withdrawals by state, 2010

#1CA

#2ID #3

CO

Data from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

Surface Water Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

754 mgd

702 mgd

441 mgd

559 mgd355 mgd

Data from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

438 mgd

413 mgd

409 mgd

Groundwater Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

215 mgd

157 mgd

1 mgd

141 mgd

Data from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

130 mgd

Total Freshwater Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

755 mgd

462 mgd

579 mgd

703 mgd

563 mgd

Data from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

American citizens consume twice the global average of water

Chinese citizens consume ~1/2 the global average per person From Holden 2014

Agricultural water trade (represents 80% of virtual water flow) From Holden 2014

Virtual water balance per country and direction of gross virtual water flows related to trade in agricultural and industrial products over the period 1996–2005.

Arjen Y. Hoekstra, and Mesfin M. Mekonnen PNAS 2012;109:3232-3237

©2012 by National Academy of Sciences

Evaporates~600,000 ac-ft/yr

Lake Powell

With global climate changeAs Temperature ↑ Evaporation will ↑

Crop transpiration ↑

Evaporation from soils ↑

Irrigation ↑

The Future

From Colorado’s Water Plan, Draft, December 10, 2014, Prepared by Colorado Water Conservation Board

Increased temperatures

Increased length of growing season

Earlier peak runoff and lower late-summer flows

Decreased annual runoff

Decreased overall water supply

Increased groundwater usage

Increased vulnerability to beetle infestation

Recreation impacts – skiing, fishing, boating

Increased frequency and severity of wildfire

Increased evapotranspiration

Decreased water quality

Increased water demand

Lower Streamflow

Planning for Resilience

USBR 2012

Variability in P & Q

Global Climate ChangeIncreased TIncreased variability

“The Gap”

Looking toward a resilient water future for Colorado…

Thank you

Yampa River, June 2011, G. Richardcoloradomesa.edu/water-center