27 May 2009
U.S. Management of Colorado River Addresses Conflicting Goals
Challenges include water scarcity, energy needs, environmental concerns
Littleton, Colorado — In the Colorado River Basin, there are conflicting needs and goals. Water from the river is shared by Mexico, 10 American Indian tribes and seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Private organizations, such as those with environmental concerns, also want their voices to be heard in decisions on water allocation.
To address this, “the process of establishing [new] laws and guidelines [to manage the river basin] is a public one that involves states, nongovernmental entities, Indian tribes, power users, recreational interests and the general public — anyone who is interested has a right to participate in the process,” Bob Walsh, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesman for the lower Colorado region, told America.gov.
“The key to resolving conflicts, in our opinion, is effective communication and transparency,” Terry Fulp, the Bureau of Reclamation’s deputy regional director for the lower Colorado region, told America.gov. “People will resolve differences more successfully if they understand each other’s views, even if they do not agree with those views.”
However, this can result in a slower collaborative process that can be frustrating for some groups, Robert King, chief of interstate streams with the Utah Division of Water Resources, told America.gov.
Planning and implementing decisions about the river occurs continuously. Public involvement is intentionally encouraged during major steps, such as determining multiyear interim guidelines and annual operating plans — all private organizations, tribes, basin states and Mexico can participate in these decisions. The Bureau of Reclamation also has daily contact with towns, cities, agricultural districts, states, tribes and Mexico to distribute the water.
Lawsuits are another option for private groups. “In the U.S., we [don’t] fight with weapons over water, instead we fight in courts,” Gary Hansen, water resource director for the Colorado River Indian Tribes, told America.gov.
Some disagreements can be eased through financial agreements. In many states, those with “senior water rights can lease water to junior users,” Fulp said.
In addition to these avenues, the United States consults with Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is responsible for implementing boundary and water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico and for settling any differences that may arise.
CHALLENGES TO THE BASIN
The key challenge for the Colorado River Basin is “finding ways to stretch a scarce resource for people, agriculture and the environment,” Jim Pokrandt, chairman of the Colorado Basin Roundtable, told America.gov.
Many aspects of this issue are related, King said. More people are moving to the West, in part because of the environmental quality there.
The bottom line is that “the river is overallocated” and it is challenging to continue to manage competing demands while populations increase, George Caan, executive director of the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, told America.gov.
“And this overallocation has been made worse in recent years by a major drought,” Walsh said.
As part of the solution, analysts are looking for ways to “operate the river system much more efficiently” to save water, Caan said.
ENERGY CHALLENGES
More water may be needed in the future for energy development of oil shale and tar sands, but “this is a big question mark in the West,” King said. The amount of water needed depends on the technological processes used to extract the oil, which is uncertain, he explained.
The Colorado River also generates renewable hydroelectric power, which is “relatively inexpensive and green” because it emits no carbon dioxide, Pat Tyrrell, Wyoming state engineer, told America.gov.
Unfortunately, lower water levels reduce the amount of power the river can generate, Caan said. Currently, all basin states receive a portion of this power. “Next, we have to consider what kind of energy source will replace this lost hydroelectric power, [such as] nuclear, coal or gas,” he said. Each of these sources has drawbacks and will cost more than the existing hydroelectric power.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Environmental concerns include having enough water to maintain the river habitat and ecosystem, including plants, wildlife and aquatic animals.
In the river basin, “there are issues of endangered native fish and providing [sufficient] water flows to help them recover under the Endangered Species Act,” Pokrandt said. For instance, some non-native fish compete with native fish species. Private groups, states and the federal government are partnering to revitalize these fish populations through recovery programs in the upper and lower basins.
River levels of salt and selenium are being monitored and investigated by state and federal groups. Both salt and selenium occur naturally in soils and can enter the river in irrigation runoff. High salinity can damage irrigated crops, particularly at the end of the river in Mexico, while selenium is a concern for fish and aquatic birds.
More information about the International Boundary and Water Commission is available at the commission’s Web site.
