Southwest Basin Roundtable

New info coming soon!

The Southwest Basin Roundtable has been involved in the development of the Colorado Water Plan, which was finalized in December 2015. You can read the full document online or watch a short video covering themes from the plan. To download the most recent fact sheet or watch a webinar, visit coloradowaterplan.com.

Walk through the water plan with this online story map!

As part of the water plan process, the Roundtable developed a strategy just for our area, the Basin Implementation Plan. The following are additional area-specific documents for your reference:

• Southwest Basin Implementation Plan
• Education Action Plan 2016-2018
• Identified Projects and Processes (IPP) List

Would you like your project to be on the IPP list?

• Becoming an IPP
• Basin Implementation Plan & IPP Map & Overview
• Southwest Colorado Statement of Importance

In early 2018, the following status update was provided to the Roundtable:

• Basin Implementation Plan Status Report 2017

In Oct 2018, the Roundtable formed the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) Demand Management (DM) Subcommittee to provide feedback on the investigation of any program to reduce consumptive use (a.k.a. demand management) in the Upper Colorado River Basin.  Please see relevant background below:

Subcommittee Mtg 5-13-20
Meeting Agenda 5-13-20

Subcommittee Mtg 4-28-20
Meeting Agenda 4-28-20
LROC vs IG Presentation (Currier)
Reclamation 7.D. Kickoff Webinar

Subcommittee Mtg 1-15-20
Meeting Agenda 1-15-20
DCP-DM Subcommittee Mtg Summary 1-15-20

Subcommittee Mtg 10-9-19
Mtg Agenda 10-9-19
DCP-DM Subcommittee Mtg Summary 10-9-19

Subcommittee Mtg 7-10-19
Mtg Agenda 7-10-19
Water Rights Admin Number
2-Page Risk Study Phase III Summary
Millard Presentation 7-10-19
GWC Summer Conference Program
Outline of DCP and Other Efforts
Historical Outline

Subcommittee Mtg 4-10-19
Mtg Agenda 4-10-19
Mtg Summary 4-10-19
Historical Info Outline (V 04-01-19)
Outline: DCP, Other Efforts (V 04-01-19)
Seven Basin States Letter and DCP
CWCB DM Workplan March 2019
Press Release, DM Workgroups

Subcommittee Mtg 1-9-19
Mtg Agenda 1-9-19
Mtg Summary 1-9-19
DCP Questions Summary
Synopsis for Roundtable
Connecting it All Flowchart
Historical Background for Roundtable
Kuhn-Risk Management Strategies

Subcommittee Mtg 12-10-18
Mtg Agenda 12-10-18
Mtg Summary 12-10-18
Millard Silver Bullet PP

Subcommittee Mtg 11-6-18
Mtg Agenda 11-6-18
Mtg Summary 11-6-18
Padgett Powerpoint
Harris Flowchart
SWCD Handout

Roundtable DCP Communications
SWCD Update to Roundtable 12-21-18
SW Basin Roundtable DCP Input 9-19-18

West Slope Conservation Districts
SWCD, River District DCP Ltr to CWCB
Resolution Proposed by SWCD, River District
Mueller Memo 11-23-18
Webinar: River District Aug 2018
Video: Mueller, River District 9-14-18

West Slope DCP Correspondence
Archuleta County Ltr to CWCB
Dolores County Ltr to CWCB
Hinsdale County Ltr to CWCB
La Plata County Ltr to CWCB
Other DCP West Slope Ltrs to CWCB

Front Range Correspondence
DCP Front Range Water Council Ltr

CWCB Communications
DRAFT DCP AGREEMENT 10-8-18
CWCB DCP Policy Adopted 11-15-18
Demand Management in the Water Plan
Conceptual Framework in the Water Plan
DCP Memo by CWCB 9-19-18
Recording: CWCB Mtg 9-19-18
News on CWCB Sept Meeting
DCP Outreach Presentation 10-9-18
Webinar: DCP Rollout 10-9-18

Federal Perspective
Link to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation DCP Page

Law of the River Background
1922 Colorado River Compact
2007 Interim Guidelines

La Plata County has posted excellent information regarding preparedness for floods after fires.

Colorado Watershed Restoration Grant money can be used for planning and engineering studies, including implementation measures, to address technical needs for watershed restoration and flood mitigation projects throughout the state.

Check out this comprehensive fact sheet for Drought Financial Assistance opportunities, as well as this DOLA summary for water and wastewater treatment funding assistance.

USDA has also announced a funding opportunity for rural water infrastructure projects.

At the Joint West Slope Roundtables meeting in December 2014, it was clear that stakeholders needed basin-specific data to inform local water management. Since then, the Southwestern Water Conservation District, the Colorado River Water Conservation District, and the four West Slope Roundtables have undertaken a three-phased study to assess threats to Western Slope water development from basinwide constraints such as Lake Powell critical elevations and compact curtailment. Phases I, II, and III have been completed (see below):

Executive Summary: Risk Study Phase I and II
Presentation: Risk Study Phase I & II
Final Report: Risk Study Phase I
Final Report: Risk Study Phase II Task 1
Final Report: Risk Study Phase II Task 2
Final Report: Risk Study Phase III

More on Risk Study Phase III:
Background for 4WSBRT Mtg
Carron Presentation 4WSBRT Mtg
2-Page Summary of the Results
SWBRT Phase III Risk Study Resolution 7-11-18

Need grant writing support for water conservation projects? Contact Western Resources Advocates.

Update: Please note these October 2019 changes in funding request consideration by the Southwest Basin Roundtable:

1. WSRF proposals will now be considered at every Roundtable meeting.
2. WSRF Basin funding requests will generally be limited to $25K so as to be able to cover more requests while WSRF funds remain scarce.
3. Concept Proposals are welcome at all Roundtable meetings, as a step towards a full WSRF proposal.

For WSRF grant applicants, please complete the following questionnaire and submit it with your application:

• SW Basin Roundtable Criteria and Questionnaire
• BIP Executive Summary
• Excerpt of SW BIP Goals and Measurable Outcomes

The following checklist and flowchart are for your reference:

• WSRF Checklist and Flowchart

For the full application and instructions please visit the CWCB website. CWCB will only accept the most recent application form available at this link. For more information or questions, contact Roundtable Chair Mike Preston, 970-739-4181, [email protected], or CWCB Liaision Craig Godbout, [email protected], 303-866-3441 x 3210.

Please email your final application to [email protected], and cc [email protected] , [email protected]

Additional water project funding is available through the CWCB, including the Water Plan Grant Program and Watershed Restoration Program. Visit the CWCB website for the full list of funding opportunities.

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs also provides financial assistance for water and wastewater treatment. Please see this resource for available options.

Finally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers multipurpose grants to states and tribes. Click here for more information.

Click here for the most recent Water Supply Reserve Fund Balance. The most recent fund balance summary is located on the lower right hand side of the page. To review final reports for past WSRF grant projects, please see the CWCB website. Select “Southwest” under Basin Roundtable and “Final Deliverable Documents” under Document Type. In addition, CWCB prepares a general WSRF report on an annual basis, which is now available for state FY2019. These reports are posted on the WSRF homepage. See the right-hand margin.

As of April 2020, Roundtable leadership team is Mike Preston (Chair), Ed Tolen (First Vice-Chair), Brandon Johnson (Second Vice-Chair), Vacant (IBCC Representative), Ed Millard (IBCC Representative), and Al Pfister (IBCC Alternate Representative).

• Roundtable Members (April 2020)
• Roundtable Bylaws (Amended July 2018)
• Meeting Summary 1-15-20
• Meeting Summary 10-9-19
• Meeting Summary 7-10-19
• Meeting Summary 4-10-19
• Meeting Summary 1-9-19
• Meeting Summary 10-10-18

To learn more about the Roundtable or to be added to the mailing list, please contact Roundtable Chair Mike Preston, 970-739-4181, [email protected] and Recorder Laura Spann, 970-247-1302 [email protected]. You can also sign up for the CWCB Confluence Newsletter or the Water Info Program Newsletter!