Mark Twain, famous son from my hometown of Hannibal Mo., is credited with the quote, “Water is for fighting and whiskey is for drinking.” Little did Twain know his comment would still be relevant 123 years later. And, thus, in my time in water policy, I have accumulated both enemies and hangovers.
I recently wrote a guest column about the Shoshone Power Plant potential purchase by Western Slope entities from Xcel Energy in The Durango Herald and The Journal on Dec. 6. On Tuesday, that purchase of water rights was consummated in a historical signing ceremony. The hydro-electric plant will be leased back to Xcel.
The Shoshone outcome should inspire and give all hope. The complex problem of water scarcity can be solved with positive outcomes.
How then do we solve the complex problem of water sharing, facing us across seven states and within Colorado? Through a series of upcoming guest columns, I hope to dive into that question. I don’t have all the answers, nor do our water officials. I hope to educate, inspire, provoke, issue a call to action and bring a dash of hope to the conversation.
Another Twain quote, “The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one,” aptly describes where we are today. We open our taps and have abundant, affordable safe drinking water. What’s the problem?
Over the past 20 years, demand has outpaced water supply in the Colorado basin. The science of a warming climate’s impact on water is hardly crystal clear. However, we do know that it has reduced flow in our rivers, increased evaporation and plant transpiration, and dehydrated soils: Demand increases and supply decreases. The growth and new construction in Durango and La Plata County requires more water and food. Growing food (agriculture) in Colorado consumes more than 80% of water statewide.
Why have this conversation now? Why care about water and the West? For starters, 2022 marked the 100-year anniversary of the 1922 Colorado River Compact or the “Law of the River.” The Compact governs the use and management of the Colorado River among seven states. The compact agreed to in 1922 was horribly flawed. The Compact is scheduled for renegotiation in 2026, when the current “interim guidelines” expire.
Can seven states agree upon a new framework of water use, in this era of political division? Let’s get it right this time!
Native Americans have recently been recognized for their water rights of 3.2 million acre-feet or around 24% of the entire water supply in the basin. The tribes now have a seat at the negotiating table for the upcoming Compact renegotiation, as they should.
The Bureau of Reclamation oversees the operations of Lakes Powell and Mead. In 2021, the BOR gave the seven states an ultimatum: Reduce consumption by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet, or we will step in and solve it for you. Colorado’s entire consumptive use in 2015 was 5.3 million acre-feet.
Fortunately, Mother Nature stepped in with two good water years, which has given the seven states some breathing room. The states’ responses to the BOR were contradictory and lacked specificity. Hardly a unified approach. Swords were rattled! Fingers were pointed! Did we simply kick the can down the road?
All sectors, including agricultural, recreation, healthy rivers, water quality and domestic demand on both sides of the continental divide and all seven states, should be put under a microscope. Our system of water law in Colorado dates to the 1860s, during the Gold Rush Age, should be updated.
Two nonwater specific sectors must also be put under the microscope: land use and leadership. Colorado is projected to grow 30% from 5.77 million to 7.52 million people over the next 25 years, according to the state demographer. Today, there is a disconnect between land use and water availability. How should we grow or should we grow?
Finally, an early mentor of mine, Rolly Fisher, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District (1974 to 1996), would start all of our conversations with coffee and these words: “Colorado does not have a shortage of water but rather a shortage of leadership in water.” I will explore that statement, and the vast hierarchy and organizational structure of water.
I look forward to having this conversation with you all, as a call to action and with a sense of urgency.
Louis Meyer is a retired civil/water engineer engaged in Western Slope and statewide water issues for the past 45 years. He lives on a family farm in the north Animas River Valley. In 2013, he was the lead author for Colorado’s Water Plan for the Colorado Basin.
