Water district to set quota next week

LOVELAND — Users of Colorado-Big Thompson water will receive 60% of what their shares entitle them, if the board of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District agrees with Northern Water staff.

Or they’ll get 70%, if the board listens to the majority of the people who attended Tuesday’s Spring Water Symposium.

Or perhaps they’ll get 80%, if the board decides to be especially generous.

The quota decision will come at 9 a.m. Thursday next week, April 11. In anticipation, the board and water users attending the symposium heard about water conditions in the region, which are factored into the decision on how much water to allocate.

The C-BT project, one of the primary and most-reliable sources of supplemental water available to agricultural and metropolitan water users in Northern Colorado, has 310,000 acre feet of water available if 100% were allocated. But the board almost never allocates it all. The water is supplemental; it’s meant to augment what is available naturally in the region from rainfall or groundwater sources. 

And somewhat counterintuitive, when supplies are high, the water district releases less, because users need less during those years. When drought conditions exist, the water district releases more.

And this year, supplies are at least average or above average, according to reports from Northern Water and from the Colorado Division of Water Resources.

Michael Hein, an engineer with the Colorado Division of Water Resources, said 2022 saw streamflow conditions well below average. In 2023, rain and summer precipitation that lasted through September, kept river flows high and helped keep reservoirs full. 

This year, Hein said, streamflows have been about average through March but reservoir levels are “well above average” at 124% of what might be considered normal. 

He also said that snowpack is at least average and, coupled with reservoir levels, the ability to recharge aquifers should be average or above average.

Luke Shawcross, water resources department manager for Northern Water, who recommended the 60% level, said that snowpack based upon Northern’s measurements is expected to be at or above average and stream flows are 90% of average. Storage is above average, he said. On average, the C-BT project stores about 535,000 acre feet of water, and this year the project is at 671,000 acre feet. An acre foot is equal to 326,000 gallons.

Shawcross expects both Carter and Horsetooth, the primary reservoirs on the Northern Front Range within the C-BT project, to be close to full. The March snowfall, with its heavy, moisture-laden content, greatly improved supply, he said. Precipitation on the Eastern Slope is at 110% of average.

Because of that precipitation, soil moisture is good, which caused him to suggest the 60% level.

At 60%, an owner of a share — or 1 acre-foot — of the C-BT would realize 0.6 acre feet of it. At that percentage, the district would allocate 186,000 acre feet of water. At 70%, it would allocate 217,000 acre feet, and at 80% it would allocate 248,000 acre feet.

Last year, the board allocated 70%. In 2022, a dry year, the level was set at 80%, and in 2021 it was 70%.

The board has been setting the C-BT quota since 1957, and 70% is the most common quota declared. 

While the quota is set in April, a month later, the board will consider whether to make additional water available through what is called the “regional pool.”

The regional pool is water that was included in the previous year’s quota but not distributed. The board can allocate all, some or none of that by placing it in a sealed-bid auction. 

“Demand for C-BT water was low last year, so there’s a lot in the regional pool,” said district general manager Brad Wind.

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