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Colorado River Basin study a 'call to action'

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By Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News

Published: Sunday, Jan. 27 2013 12:23 p.m. MST

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Summary

Key steps to shore up future water supplies in the already over-strained Colorado River system need to include a hard emphasis on conservation and reuse of water in all arenas, improved management of watersheds, and greater flexibility with water banking or water-sharing agreements.

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“It became obvious to us there was no single silver bullet solution to address this evolving imbalance over time.”

Armin Munevar

Dennis Strong, director of the state’s Division of Water Resources and one of the state agencies that pitched in on funding the study, said the analysis makes clear the Colorado River will not be able to meet all the future demands of water use in the basin states.

But he stressed the temptation to emphasize the projected shortfall may come at the expense of other key lessons and facts that may be overlooked.

“It is helpful to understand that much of the use of the Colorado River is outside of the area that catches the rain and melted snow that becomes the river. The water of the river is used in San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque — all cities that are outside the river basin.”

In none of those cities, he added, is the Colorado River the sole supply of water, so when population projections in those regions are used to calculate projected shortfalls, it is not reasonable to expect the Colorado to step in and fill all the gap.

“Most of those future needs must be met with water that is from outside the Colorado River basin, just as they are today,” he said.

The lower basin states have already used up all of their allocations of Colorado River, and that is where the majority of demand will come in the next 50 years.

Seeing what has already begun to play out in those other basin states will provide good lessons for Utah, Colorado and Wyoming in the coming years, he said.

“I don’t think the study is a crisis statement for the Colorado River in the upper basin,” he said. “Is it a call to action? Yes.”

Comments on the study may be emailed to ColoradoRiverBasinStudy@usbr.gov or mailed to the Bureau of Reclamation, attention Pam Adams, LC2721, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nev., 89006-1470. They may also be faxed to 702-293-8418.

E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com

Twitter: amyjoi16

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Featured Comments

See all 6 comments »
Elcapitan
Ivins, UT

Lets not waste water in numerous ways, like more Golf Courses on the desert regions using Colorado River water.

Only a minority use them, usually rich minority.

  • 3:30 p.m. Jan. 27, 2013
  • Top comment
Shamal
Orlando, FL

"Only a minority use them, usually rich minority."

That rich minority pays for the infrastructure that everyone uses, and for the golf course. Statistically speaking, I doubt that keeping the desert golf courses green is the More..

  • 12:04 a.m. Jan. 28, 2013
  • Top comment
Fitz
Murray, UT

If the Bureau of Reclamation built the four dams at least the size of Flaming Gorge Dam, two on the Green and two on the Colorado, in Utah, it would have created the storage capacities we will need over the next 50 years. It would have either More..

  • 1:19 p.m. Jan. 27, 2013
  • Top comment
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About the Author
Amy Joi O'Donoghue

Amy Joi O'Donoghue

Amy Joi O'Donoghue is the environmental reporter the Deseret News, specializing in coverage of issues that affect land, air, water and energy development. She has worked here since 1998 and has been an assistant city more ..

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