A 2050 Vision for Colorado's water supply future

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rowan ◽  
E. Hecox ◽  
S. Morea
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
The State ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Water Projects ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Local Water

The last decade has brought many changes to Colorado's water supply outlook. Despite the recent economic recession, the state has experienced significant population growth, and Colorado's population is expected to nearly double within the next 40 years. Other pressures on Colorado's water supply include severe drought, a desire to meet multiple needs (i.e., municipal, environmental, recreational) with existing resources, and impacts to agriculture due to water shortages, urbanization, and transfers to new users. To address these challenges, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) has undertaken a visioning process to explore solutions to these future water supply challenges. As part of this process, CWCB has led the state in identifying demand and supply strategies to meet the state's future water needs while considering agriculture and the environment. These strategies have been combined into varying portfolios that include methods such as conservation, local water projects, new Colorado River development, and agricultural transfers. This paper details the development and evaluation of these portfolios and describes stakeholder's efforts to balance meeting Colorado's water needs in the future.

scholarly journals How Long Does a 15-Year Drought Last? On the Correlation of Rare Events

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1345-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Rhee ◽  
Jimmy Salazar ◽  
Corwin Grigg
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
River System ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Supply Problem ◽  
Quantitative Understanding ◽  
Streamflow Statistics

Abstract Communities reliant upon the Colorado River system are at risk of water shortages because of fluctuations of the river’s streamflows. The solution to the water supply problem for the Colorado River system lies within a quantitative understanding of these fluctuations during droughts. Streamflow data (direct and inferred) for the Colorado River extend back approximately 1200 years through the analysis of tree-ring records (Meko et al.; Woodhouse et al.). We further analyze these data using a mathematical model to present estimates for the future water supply of the Colorado River by comparing measured streamflows of the past century with the yearly tree-ring data of the Colorado River. We estimate that the Colorado River system’s reservoirs lack enough stored water reserves to last through the current drought, which has been ongoing since 2000. If true, it is essential to reevaluate the way water is used and stored for the Colorado River. The methods presented are relevant to any river system whose streamflow statistics are Gaussian.

Major Water Industry Reform in Australia: A Case Study from Queensland

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
W.B. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
State Government ◽  
The State ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Water Industry ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
The Government

The State Government of Queensland, Australia, has recently embarked on unparalleled reform of the water industry in the populous South-East corner of the state. This reform goes well beyond that previously seen in either the Australian electricity or water industries, and involves the geographic aggregation of 25 separate local government-owned water authorities into a five-tiered, vertically disaggregated series of new water supply and delivery businesses. Particular priority has been placed on establishing the bulk and manufactured water, trunk distribution and grid management entities that will be crucial to meeting the short and long-term water supply needs of this rapidly-growing region, however the scope of reforms covers the full water supply chain through to the consumer. The scale and pace of the reform poses significant challenges for both the industry and its regulators. To achieve the Government's aggressive timetable and delivery outcomes, all parties have had to mobilise quickly and manage the complex task of business transformation while maintaining service continuity - and against a backdrop of severe drought, unprecedented capital works programs, ongoing population growth and concurrent local government amalgamations and boundary changes. If executed properly, however, the reforms offer many potential benefits for the Government, the water authorities, and the community. This paper examines the progress of the Queensland reforms to date, and discusses the approaches taken, key observations, and challenges and opportunities for both the water businesses and the regulators.

Water Supply Sustainability Indicators for the Southern California-Baja California Area

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Gil Samaniego Ramos ◽  
Héctor Enrique Campbell Ramírez ◽  
Juan Carlos Tapia Olivas
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The State ◽  
Water Supply Systems

Southern California and Baja California share, besides a dynamic social and economic exchange and 226 kilometers of borderline, an important natural resource: water from the Colorado River. Both areas have arid and semiarid climate in large zones and local fresh water sources are scarce, so water imports from the Colorado are strategic for their continued social and economic growth. Southern California’s water supply comes from the State Water Project, the Colorado River Aqueduct and local sources; in turn, Baja California depends mostly on the water supplied by the Colorado River, with an aqueduct that serves the Pacific coastline cities of the state. Both water supply systems are considered high energy consumers, affecting the quality of life in the region. The sustainable development of both communities is a challenge to Mexican and American public policy planners who must recognize that, to meet the future water demands to support sustainable development in this area it will require improved utilization and management of water resources. In this paper, water supply sustainable indicators were calculated for southern California and Baja California to evaluate and compare their performance towards sustainability. Findings show big differences in the indicators like water use per person, percentage of the cost of water relative to household income, cost of electricity to convey water, etc. High contrast in both economies makes up for these differences, but as water stakeholders of an only source, that is, the Colorado River, Mexico and the United States should avoid those imbalances in water use and management efficiencies, as it might affect its availability and cost, bringing potential conflicts and disturbing the traditional friendly coexistence and growth of both communities.

scholarly journals Iran Drought Monitoring in April 2021

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid Memarian Sorkhabi
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Drought Index ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Water Supply Management ◽  
Eastern Iran ◽  
Average Rainfall

Abstract About a third of the world's continents and large parts of Iran are facing drought, which is hampering water supply and water supply management. The problem of drought is a natural phenomenon that causes water shortages in many countries every year. Currently, about 80 countries are located in arid and semi-arid regions of the world and Iran is one of these countries with an average rainfall of about 250 mm. In this study, a new drought index called OMI based on GRACE-FO total water storage (TWS) observations is developed in April 2021. The northern and northwestern regions of Iran have lost about 0.32 meters of TWS. Central and eastern Iran have lost about 0.18 meters of TWS. The southwestern regions of Iran are in a better situation this month than other regions. The eastern and southeastern regions are very mid drought, the northern, northeastern, and northwestern regions are very severe drought. The southeastern areas are moderately drought.

scholarly journals Diagnóstico da oferta hídrica do município de Russas (CE): Uma análise descritiva como subsídio à gestão sustentável dos recursos hídricos

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1612
Author(s):  
Luzia Suerlange Araujo dos Santos Mendes ◽  
Tomaz Alexandre Da Silva Neto ◽  
Joyce Shantala Fernandes de Oliveira SouSA ◽  
Cláudio Ângelo Da Silva Neto ◽  
Itabaraci Nazareno Cavalcante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The State ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Historical Series

A água é um dos recursos essenciais para sustentação da vida de todas as espécies do planeta. A oferta de água nas regiões semiáridas brasileira está intrinsecamente ligada aos fatores e características naturais da área: Instabilidades climáticas e as características litológicas.  O Estado do Ceará é marcado por intensos períodos de escassez hídrica, na qual a população fica vulnerável a uma má qualidade de vida e de saúde. O município de Russas situa-se porção nordeste do estado, onde o déficit hídrico está associado aos longos períodos de estiagem. A água subterrânea aparece como uma das principais fontes para suprir a carência hídrica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um diagnóstico hídrico da quantidade de água disponível do município no ano de 2019, usando banco de dados governamentais, disponíveis na internet, e informações de Órgãos do estado que gerenciam esses recursos. Foram analisados a quantidade de poços cadastrados e suas vazões, foi realizada a classificação dos reservatórios de superfície, com possível vazões; e a série histórica da pluviometria do município de Russas, no período de 1980 a 2018. O município apresenta um quadro hídrico quantitativo bastante delicado, com longos períodos de estiagem. Os reservatórios superficiais foram classificados de pequenos a muitos pequenos, onde o maior açude do município, apresenta vazão de 12 m3/h. Russas possui um total de 358 poços cadastrados, dos quais apenas 35% estão bombeando com uma vazão de total de 668,95m3/h. O município necessita de uma gestão mais sustentável na questão da oferta hídrica. Diagnosis of the water supply of the municipality of Russas – CE: A descriptive analysis as a subsidy to the sustainable management of water resources A B S T R A C TThe water supply in the Brazilian semi-arid regions is intrinsically linked to the natural characteristics of the area, like climate and lithological settings. The State of Ceará is marked by intense periods of water scarcity, in which the population is vulnerable to a poor quality of life and health. The municipality of Russas is located in the northeastern part of the state, where the hydric deficit is associated with long periods of drought. Groundwater appears as one of the main sources to supply water shortages. The objective of this work was to carry out a hydric diagnosis of the amount of water available in Russas in 2019, using government databases and information from state agencies that manage these resources. The number of registered wells and their flows were analyzed, the classification of surface reservoirs was carried out, with possible flows; and the historical series of rainfall in the municipality of Russas, from 1980 to 2018. The municipality has a very delicate quantitative hydric situation, with long periods of drought. The superficial reservoirs were classified from small to many small, where the largest reservoir in the municipality, has a flow of 12 m3/h. Russas has a total of 358 registered wells, of which only 35% are pumping with a total flow of 668.95 m3/h. The municipality needs more sustainable management in terms of hydric supply.Keywords: Hydric demand, Semiarid, Hydric infrastructure.  

Drought will cause US agricultural shift

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Political Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Comprehensive Plan ◽  
The Face ◽  
Low Levels

Subject The implications of exceptional drought in California. Significance California is in the fourth year of a severe drought. Low levels of snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas, a main source of water for the 50 billion dollar agricultural industry in the state, show that it will last throughout the year. Water in California is a divisive political issue, and a cohesive and comprehensive plan for water use may be beyond reach even in the face of unprecedented drought. Impacts Although without droughts as severe as California's, Arizona and Nevada may be more affected by water shortages. Arizona has measures in place to reduce groundwater use, which may be copied elsewhere. Use of the Colorado river will become a source of contention for western states, and internationally, with Mexico. This could lead to greater federal involvement in conservation efforts.

scholarly journals The Energy Trade-Offs of Transitioning to a Locally Sourced Water Supply Portfolio in the City of Los Angeles

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5589
Author(s):  
Angineh Zohrabian ◽  
Kelly T. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Electricity Demand ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Local Water ◽  
The City

Predicting the energy needs of future water systems is important for coordinating long-term energy and water management plans, as both systems are interrelated. We use the case study of the Los Angeles City’s Department of Water and Power (LADWP), located in a densely populated, environmentally progressive, and water-poor region, to highlight the trade-offs and tensions that can occur in balancing priorities related to reliable water supply, energy demand for water and greenhouse gas emissions. The city is on its path to achieving higher fractions of local water supplies through the expansion of conservation, water recycling and stormwater capture to replace supply from imported water. We analyze scenarios to simulate a set of future local water supply adoption pathways under average and dry weather conditions, across business as usual and decarbonized grid scenarios. Our results demonstrate that an aggressive local water supply expansion could impact the geospatial distribution of electricity demand for water services, which could place a greater burden on LADWP’s electricity system over the next two decades, although the total energy consumed for the utility’s water supply might not be significantly changed. A decomposition analysis of the major factors driving electricity demand suggests that in most scenarios, a structural change in LADWP’s portfolio of water supply sources affects the electricity demanded for water more than increases in population or water conservation.

scholarly journals Colorado River water supply is predictable on multi-year timescales owing to long-term ocean memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshimitsu Chikamoto ◽  
S.-Y. Simon Wang ◽  
Matt Yost ◽  
Larissa Yocom ◽  
Robert R. Gillies
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Crucial Information ◽  
Annual Water ◽  
Decadal Climate

Abstract Skillful multi-year climate forecasts provide crucial information for decision-makers and resource managers to mitigate water scarcity, yet such forecasts remain challenging due to unpredictable weather noise and the lack of dynamical model capability. Here we demonstrate that the annual water supply of the Colorado River is predictable up to several years in advance by a drift-free decadal climate prediction system using a fully coupled climate model. Observational analyses and model experiments show that prolonged shortages of water supply in the Colorado River are significantly linked to sea surface temperature precursors including tropical Pacific cooling, North Pacific warming, and southern tropical Atlantic warming. In the Colorado River basin, the water deficits can reduce crop yield and increase wildfire potential. Thus, a multi-year prediction of severe water shortages in the Colorado River basin could be useful as an early indicator of subsequent agricultural loss and wildfire risk.

Russia - European Union: The continuation ofthe sanctions standoff

2017 ◽  
pp. 114-127
Author(s):  
M. Klinova ◽  
E. Sidorova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Economic Sanctions ◽  
Current Data ◽  
The State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Year 2013

The article deals with economic sanctions and their impact on the state and prospects of the neighboring partner economies - the European Union (EU) and Russia. It provides comparisons of current data with that of the year 2013 (before sanctions) to demonstrate the impact of sanctions on both sides. Despite the fact that Russia remains the EU’s key partner, it came out of the first three partners of the EU. The current economic recession is caused by different reasons, not only by sanctions. Both the EU and Russia have internal problems, which the sanctions confrontation only exacerbates. The article emphasizes the need for a speedy restoration of cooperation.

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