The Summit State of the River, an annual event meant to keep Summit County residents informed on local water issues was presented virtually on Thursday. Presenters gave updates and answered questions about the Dillon and Green Mountain reservoirs, effects of climate change, this year’s early runoff season and the safety of the Goose Pasture Tarn Dam. They also commented that there were more attendees who tuned into the webinar than in past years where the event was held in-person.
General Manager of the Colorado River District Andy Mueller gave an overview of water politics and issues facing the Western Slope. He noted that there are about 40 million people who depend on the water that resides in the Colorado River District. Mueller called the district the “lifeblood” of the southwestern United States.
He discussed the overuse of the lower basin in Arizona, California and Nevada, which he said is the biggest threat to the river. Mueller noted that these areas have historically used 1.1 million to 1.3 million acre-feet of water more than they were originally entitled to in the Colorado Compact.
Mueller discussed the impacts of climate change on the river district as, based on a graph from the Washington Post, the Colorado River District being more impacted by climate change compared to other parts of the country due to variances in the rise of temperatures. Summit County, one of the lesser impacted counties according to the graph, has risen in average temperatures by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit from 1895-2018.
“Keep in mind, 2-degree Fahrenheit rise in temperatures is a significant difference in average temperature and it’s enough to cause serious impacts on stream flow, snow as it falls, precipitation falling as rain or snow,” Mueller said. “It’s enough to really impact our streams.”
