CONFERENCE PROGRAM: 29th COLORADO WATER WORKSHOP, July 28-30, 2004
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE: For most of the 20th century, a unified political vision drove water development in the West; through unprecedented feats of engineering and applied technology, most of the West's surface waters were controlled and redirected to human purposes by the 1970s.
But that unified political vision began to break up about that time, as changes in western regional economies, coupled with environmental concerns nationally, brought other values into political play. Today the environmental sciences -- and increasingly the "dismal science," economics -- are playing a large role in changing the scope, scale and nature of water projects: both in terms of what will probably no longer be done for environmental and economic reasons, and also of what can be done through new approaches to water development..
Western State College's 29th Water Workshop will examine these changes, looking both at the challenges represented by conflicts between science and politics, and at the opportunities created when the approach is less protagonistic. Here is the complete schedule!
SPECIAL PRE-CONFERENCE EVENT
"Colorado Water Law in a Nutshell"
Tuesday, July 27, 1:00-4:00 and Wednesday, July 28, 8:00-12:00
Delta water attorney and District 4 Water Referee Aaron Clay will provide an overview
on everything from basic definitions to the complexities of reserved rights.
$20.00 in addition to other conference fees -- but a real bargain for that.
In the Cottonwood Room, College Union.
CONFERENCE EVENTS
All events, unless otherwise noted, in the Kebler Room, College Union
For CAMPUS MAP click here
WEDNESDAY MORNING, July 28, 10:00-12:00
"Studying Hard: Research updates on important regional studies." A media briefing organized by the Colorado Foundation for Water Education. (Also open to the public at no cost.) Moderated by Karla Brown, CFWE Director
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The South Metro Water Supply Study -- Pat Mulhern, Engineer, Mulhern MRE, Inc., on the challenges of meeting water needs for some of the fastest growing communities in the nation.
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2004 Drought and Water Supply Assessment -- Tracy Bouvette, Geomatrix Consultants, on the growing challenges presented by the deepening drought.
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Upper Colorado River Basin Project (UPCO) -- Taylor Hawes, Attorney for Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, on the challenge of balancing local, downstream and transbasin needs from the Upper Colorado River.
NOON -- Welcome Back Lunch, Union Patio, Lawn & Kebler Room
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, July 28
1:00-2:15 Reflections from the "Two Chambers of the Western Heart"
Justice Greg Hobbs has said that "the two chambers of the western heart, the two lobes of the western mind, are beneficial use and preservation." Two large figures in the recent history of water development in Colorado and the Upper Colorado River Basin are retiring this year, and will share their reflections from that peak of their careers:
- Wayne Cook, Executive Director of the Upper Colorado River Commission for many years, and before that a ranking employee of the Bureau of Reclamation, will speak from the "beneficial-use chamber" of the western heart; and
- Bruce Driver, attorney for Western Resource Advocates (formerly the Land and Water Fund for the Rockies) will speak from the "preservation chamber" of the western heart.
2:15-3:00 The Changing Science, Technology and Politics of Water
Neil Grigg, civil engineer, author, and head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Colorado State University, will give an overview of how the 21st century will be different from the 20th in water development. Then Cat Shrier, a recent CSU doctoral graduate in Civil Engineering, will tell how the field looks from the perspective of one just entering it.
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-4:30 Science and Politics: Which drives Which?
A discussion panel with Steve Sims from the Colorado Attorney General's office; Frank Jaeger, Manager of Parker Water and Sanitation; and Barbara Green, resource attorney.
4:30-5:30 Breakout Sessions -- Some Big Questions for the Future
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Is there really still undeveloped water in Colorado?
Rick Brown, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board State Water Supply study project (due to be completed later this year) will discuss findings to date, and responses from around the state..
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Are Big Projects still possible?
Gary Bostrom, regional project director for Colorado Springs Utilities, will tell about the big pipeline from the Pueblo Reservoir; Dave Miller of Natural Energy Resource Company (who will not mention "Union Park") will present the case for high-altitude off-stream storage; and Gary Hausler, Gunnison engineer and developer, will say why he thinks Colorado could and should look east of the 100th meridian for water. -
What is conjunctive use and how does it work? Will it work?
Pat Mulhern of Mulhern MRE Inc. will explain this process on which many western cities are pinning a lot of hopes.
WEDNESDAY EVENING - Banquet
Social Time at 6:00 with a reprise from the Gunnison Brewery; Dinner at 6:30, followed by --
"John Wesley Powell, Scientist, Poet and Botched Politician: How a non-college graduate invented from the rhythms of nature a western persona." The Hon. Greg Hobbs, Colorado Supreme Court Justice, on the first big western train wreck between science and politics.
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 29
8:00-8:30 Coffee, Continental Breakfast and Conversation
8:30-10:00 What can Climate Science tell us about future water management challenges in Colorado?
Three members of the Western Water Assessment – Doug Kenney from the Natural Resource Law Center at the University of Colorado, Andrea Ray from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Brad Udall from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences -- will give an overview of multidisciplinary efforts to scientifically address the challenges of water resource predictability and risk management, culminating with a demonstration of a model being developed to address South Platte water issues.
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-12:15 Water Use Strategies in the 21st Century
An overview of how some water managers, users and engineers are facing the challenges of growing demands, finite supplies and a need for new variations on old solutions. Richard Raines of the Applegate Group of Denver will moderate.
Meeting Municipal Needs: Peter Binney, Director of Utilities for the City of Aurora, and Nicole Seltzer, of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, will describe strategies their agencies are employing to make the water they have go as far as possible, and to develop future supplies through collaboration rather than conflict.
Meeting Agricultural Needs: Don Magnusson, of the New Cache la Poudre Irrigation Company, describes how farmers are working things out in the face of urban expansion; and Kathy McNeill, rancher from the San Luis Valley, will describe their efforts with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to restore aquifers in their valley.
Meeting New Storage Needs: Mike Applegate, of the Applegate Group, will describe 21st century approaches to water storage and development from the engineering perspective; and Warren Paul, engineer with the Washington Group International, will offer a more scientific approach to decision making and risk management.
12:15-1:15 Lunch on Union Patio, Lawn & in Kebler Room
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
1:15-3:00 125 Years' Evolution in Administering Water Use in Colorado.
125 years ago, in 1879, the Colorado legislature created the State Engineer's Office and established the system of water districts and water commissioners, to assure that the state's water would fairly and efficiently distributed among the water right holders. State Engineer Hal Simpson will introduce and lead this session. Former District Engineer Dick Stenzel and Water Commissioner Bill Richie will give an overview of the evolution of the scientific and technical aspects of the job "from saddle to satellite." Water Commissioner Bruce Smith will speak to the challenges of administering ground water rights. And Water Commissioner Scott Hummer will speak to the nature of the task today, and the technology used in the commissioner's job, with speculation on the future evolution of the administration of water rights in Colorado.
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-4:30 Should Colorado explore alternatives for water right development and administration?
Currently, almost all determinations involving water rights go through the judiciary water courts. Other states do it differently. A discussion panel with Melinda Kassen of Trout Unlimited, Steve Sims of the Colorado Attorney General's office, and John McClow, attorney with Bratton & McClow of Gunnison will look at the pros and cons of Colorado's system and consider alternatives.
4:30-5:30 News from the Basins
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Along the Gunnison River. Karen Shirley, manager of the Upper Gunnison River WCD, will tell what is going on with the district's augmentation program, Upper Gunnison Project plans, etc. and Steve McCall from the Bureau of Reclamation's Western Colorado office will speak to the Aspinall Unit Operation EIS progress.
THURSDAY EVENING -- Explore the Upper Gunnison Valley. Check out the fine restaurants in Gunnison, Crested Butte, Almont, Ohio City at www.visitgunnison.com. Or get something from one of the supermarket delis and go find a fishing hole up the Taylor or a hike in Hartman Rocks southwest of town.
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 30
8:00-8:30 Coffee, Continental Breakfast and Conversation
8:30-9:30 News from the Basins
- From the San Juan Basin -- Update on the Animas-La Plata Project. Allen Gates, one of the project engineers will show what is happening on the Animas.
9:45-11:45 Show Time on the Colorado River.
Two representatives of the Upper Colorado River Commission -- Gunnison attorney (and Water Workshop founder) Richard Bratton (Federal Commissioner) and Glenwood Springs attorney Scott Balcomb (Colorado Commissioner) -- will be present for a public discussion of the potential problems looming for the Upper Colorado River states as the drought continues to diminish the region's "bank account" in Lake Powell.
Connie Woodhouse of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will bring the commisssioners and conference attendees up to date on efforts to reconstruct long-term climatological data for the Colorado River Region.
Resource consultant Ben Harding of Hydrosphere in Boulder will demonstrate the effects of one of the "tree-ring droughts" on the Colorado River's modern storage system, and Eric Kuhn of the Colorado River Water Conservation District will present the District's analysis of the impact on the Upper Basin of continued drought, as prelude to the public discussion of implications and options for the Upper Basin states in confronting the possibility of a Lower Basin call on the river.
11:45-12:30 Lunch with Candidates for National and State Offices
12:30-2:00 Candidate Forum.
A chance for candidates for national and some state offices to discuss water issues with the people who want to know where they stand! This concluding session will be open to the public. Candidates who have accepted the invitation so far:
- Bob Schaffer, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
- Mike Miles, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate
- Gregg Rippy, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress 3rd Colorado District
- Matt Smith, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress 3rd Colorado District
- Kathleen Curry, Democrat candidate for Colorado General Assembly Dsitrict 61
Keep checking for new additions! Several other candidates have either tentatively accepted or are trying to rearrange their schedules to attend.