Free Flow

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ater

ducation

and

nstitutional

evelopment

Thus, the study sheds light on the benefits of coordi-

nated, preventative strategies that have multi-resource

benefits while also opening the question of acceptable

levels of risk and risk management.

Following completion of the study in late 2012,

Reclamation hosted a final public webinar on the

Internet that drew more than 200 participants for

the approximately two-hour event. In response to

strong interest and desire for additional detail, a

public outreach effort followed. This consisted of two

workshops in major population centres in the basin,

and another webinar. All were open to the public and

lasted around four hours between presentations and

questions. Despite the length and highly technical

nature of these workshops, participation numbered in

the hundreds.

Recognizing the need to build on this interest and

collectively move forward, a ‘next steps’ phase has been

launched. Specifically, several work groups have been

chartered to advance strategies found to be cost-effec-

tive and provide a wide range of benefits to all water

users. The next steps of the study aim to advance the

existing technical foundation while maintaining the

same broad, inclusive stakeholder process employed

throughout the previous three years.

For the Colorado River basin, successes such as

this recent study are not possible overnight. Time and

commitment are necessary to forge the relationships

and tools to tackle challenging issues in a complex

river basin. Tools and technical capability can quickly

become obsolete as science and methods evolve.

Stakeholder groups and staff also change, which impacts

relationships formed over time. Continued discussion

and continued activity, through periods of abundant

flows and periods of drought, are essential to safeguard

the future of communities, economies and ecosystems

supported by the Colorado River.

quantified demands numerically by region and use type to follow the

narrative. In total, six demand scenarios were quantified. By the end

of the study period, without action, the imbalances between water

demand and supply have the potential to be quite large.

The next phase of the study involved a public solicitation of

options and strategies to resolve the imbalances resulting from the

supply and demand scenarios. Through regular outreach efforts that

included a website, an e-mail list and routine webinar updates, the

public and other groups not directly involved were kept apprised of

the study progress. By the options and strategies phase, the e-mail

distribution list was more than 800 addresses long. This list was

used to publicize the open solicitation and further affirmed the bene-

fits of outreach beyond major stakeholders. Through this process,

more than 150 submissions were received, ranging from augmenta-

tion to water conservation to alternative management approaches.

The submitted options were grouped, standardized where appropri-

ate, and rated on factors such as cost, reliability and energy needs to

facilitate inter-comparison.

In the final study phase – the vulnerability analysis – the CRSS

model was used to evaluate the potential vulnerability of six resource

categories: water deliveries, hydropower, recreation, ecological

resources, water quality and flood control. Metrics to evaluate these

resources and associated thresholds for vulnerability were developed

by seeking input from relevant stakeholders and field experts. The

assessment considered all future supply and demand combinations,

first without options and then against several ‘option portfolios’. These

portfolios represent different strategies (for example, low energy foot-

print) by including only options that meet certain rating criteria. Four

distinct strategies were developed through an iterative process involv-

ing study partners and stakeholders to facilitate an exploration of

trade-offs, rather than attempting to prescribe a solution.

In short, the study found that in the absence of timely action to

ensure sustainability in the basin, there is a strong risk of short-

ages in the coming decades. All of the option portfolios considered

reduced vulnerability across the six resource categories while

helping to close the supply and demand gap. However, vulnera-

bilities were never eradicated and in some cases persisted strongly.

Colorado River Basin Study collaborators receive the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Partners in Conservation Award in 2012

Image: Bureau of Reclamation