Water Rights: Laws, Guns, & Money

Bill Berg, Hydrogeologist with Marin and Wood Water Consultants
·       South Platte River augmentations more complicated than in San Luis Valley
·       Most augmentation plans used for out of priority wells
Replacement source
·       Must match time, place and amount of depletion
·       Water wells create a drawdown cone within the aquifer

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Relationship of water to economic output
·       Farming uses lots, contributes not so much
·       Cities use little, contribute a lot more
Legislature waking up to water problem
·       Centerpiece of new legislation
·       Presentation of my solutions

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Comparing other uses to reduction of hay fields
·       Curbing Kim Kardashian’s use of water
·       Eliminating coal-fired power plants
·       Not even close to providing water to restoring Colorado River
King Alfalfa is the real culprit
·       Consumes more than all cities in the Basin
·       $400 billion has been approved to buy, lease or loan water to the River

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Shipping container gro pods
·       Suppliers producing more sealed grow units
·       Use <1% of water of regular farming
Suggestions to solve crisis
·       Greater use of hydroponics
·       Buy and dry
·       Revive Two Forks reservoir
·       Aquifer Storage and Retrieval

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Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, Laramie – the big cities
·       East side of State
·       Not using Colorado River water
Flaming Gorge reservoir draw downs
       Farming, fishing and few water consumers
·       Potential U.S. Congressional action

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Through alfalfa, water being sent to Saudi Arabia
·       Alfalfa farms clearly sucking potable water from cities’ supplies
·       Middle East countries prevent using water for low value crops
And what are we doing?
·       Arizona allows unlimited pumping in most locations
·       How much time left before Arizona runs out of water

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Heavy reliance on groundwater
·       Case study on running out of water
·       State should track water use
Albuquerque’s water supply
·       Depends on Colorado River water for recharge and direct use
·       Impact of cutting back on Colorado River water

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What are sources of Arizona water?
·       Groundwater
·       Native rivers
·       Central Arizona Project
Legislation authorized of Central Arizona Project in 1968
·       Completed in 1994
·       Serves interior of Arizona
Arizona’s share of river is 2.8 MAF
·       Cities get 1.5 MAF through CAP
·       Remainder for agriculture
·       Cuts in 1922 Compact will hurt all

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