Ayb Colorado River

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Presentation Outline:Presentation Outline:

• Intro, Facts

• Climate

• Hydroelectricity,Dams

• Agriculture, Irrigation

• Salinity

• Water Management

• Intro, Facts

• Climate

• Hydroelectricity,Dams

• Agriculture, Irrigation

• Salinity

• Water Management



･ Length of main stem of river: 2,317 km

･ Drainage basin area: 637,000 square kilometers

･ Elevation change: 3,700km from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming to the outlet in the Gulf of California.

･ Basin includes portions of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and Mexico

･ Length of main stem of river: 2,317 km

･ Drainage basin area: 637,000 square kilometers

･ Elevation change: 3,700km from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming to the outlet in the Gulf of California.

･ Basin includes portions of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and Mexico



FACTS:

• Sixth largest river in the U.S.• The Colorado River is often described as the most regulated river in the

world. • More water is exported from the basin than from any other river in the

U.S.

• The Colorado River provides municipal and industrial water for more than 24 million people living in the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, San

Diego and hundreds of other communities in seven states.

• Sixth largest river in the U.S.• The Colorado River is often described as the most regulated river in the

world. • More water is exported from the basin than from any other river in the

U.S.

• The Colorado River provides municipal and industrial water for more than 24 million people living in the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, San

Diego and hundreds of other communities in seven states.

•Regional Climate heating up•11 western states averaged 1.7 degree fahrenheit warmer than the regions 20th century average*

•Regional Climate heating up•11 western states averaged 1.7 degree fahrenheit warmer than the regions 20th century average*

*Study conducted by Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and Natural Resources Defense Council

•The West experiencing more frequent and severe heat waves•more intense and longer droughts •Decreases in snowpack, less snowfall, earlier snow melt, more winter rain events, increased peak winter flows, reduced summer flows •Changes contribute to reduction in water volume.•Lake Powell and Lake Mead are now only 45-50% full

CLIMATE:





The US retains 95 percent of the Colorado River's water and Mexico gets what's left over. Most years this is about 1.5 million acre feet, roughly the same amount that Sonoran desert farmers were using to irrigate their bean and onion fields in 1922.

Construction at Glen Canyon Dam, 1963. Construction at Glen Canyon Dam, 1963.





HYDROELECTRICITY, DAMS:



AGRICULTURE:



SALINITY:

Desalination ProposalsDesalination Proposals• The 1974 Colorado River Basin Salinity

Control Act authorized the use of federal funds to help control salinity in the Colorado River, including construction of a desalination plant near Yuma, Arizona.

• The plant was to desalt 80,000 acre-feet of return irrigation flows from farmers in the Welton Mohawk Irrigation District prior to the water being delivered to Mexico.

• The desalting plant was completed in 1992 at a cost of $280 million.

• The annual operating costs are estimated to be in excess of $25 million. The water desalination plant operated for nine months before floods and design flaws forced it to close.

• The 1974 Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act authorized the use of federal funds to help control salinity in the Colorado River, including construction of a desalination plant near Yuma, Arizona.

• The plant was to desalt 80,000 acre-feet of return irrigation flows from farmers in the Welton Mohawk Irrigation District prior to the water being delivered to Mexico.

• The desalting plant was completed in 1992 at a cost of $280 million.

• The annual operating costs are estimated to be in excess of $25 million. The water desalination plant operated for nine months before floods and design flaws forced it to close.



Water Management HistoryWater Management History• In the 1800s and early 1900s, a sizable agricultural

development emerged in California’s Imperial Valley• At that time, water was delivered to the valley from the

Colorado River in a canal that passed through Mexico. Mexico allowed Imperial Valley farmers to use the channel in exchange for a portion of the water. us bureau of reclamation

• In 1900s-1910s California wanted to construct an „All-American Canal“ to bring Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley, build a flood control dam and storage reservoir on the lower mainstem Colorado River, and develop hydroelectric power to meet needs of its growing population.

• In the 1800s and early 1900s, a sizable agricultural development emerged in California’s Imperial Valley

• At that time, water was delivered to the valley from the Colorado River in a canal that passed through Mexico. Mexico allowed Imperial Valley farmers to use the channel in exchange for a portion of the water. us bureau of reclamation

• In 1900s-1910s California wanted to construct an „All-American Canal“ to bring Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley, build a flood control dam and storage reservoir on the lower mainstem Colorado River, and develop hydroelectric power to meet needs of its growing population.



• The seven states worked with the federal government and negotiated the Colorado River Compact on November 24, 1922.

• The compact split the river system into an Upper Basin comprised of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and a Lower Basin comprised of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

• The seven states worked with the federal government and negotiated the Colorado River Compact on November 24, 1922.

• The compact split the river system into an Upper Basin comprised of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and a Lower Basin comprised of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

Recent Development: Colorado River Management Strategy 2007Recent Development: Colorado

River Management Strategy 2007• First, the new guidelines establish rules for

shortages – specifying who will take reductions and when they take them. This is essential for prudent water planning in times of drought.

• Second, the new operational rules for Lake Powell and Lake Mead will allow these two massive reservoirs to rise and fall in tandem, thereby better sharing the risk of drought.

• Third, the new guidelines establish rules for surpluses, so that if the basin is blessed with ample runoff, the Department of the Interior will have rules in place to distribute the extra water.

• Fourth, the new rules will address the ongoing drought by encouraging new initiatives for water conservation.

• First, the new guidelines establish rules for shortages – specifying who will take reductions and when they take them. This is essential for prudent water planning in times of drought.

• Second, the new operational rules for Lake Powell and Lake Mead will allow these two massive reservoirs to rise and fall in tandem, thereby better sharing the risk of drought.

• Third, the new guidelines establish rules for surpluses, so that if the basin is blessed with ample runoff, the Department of the Interior will have rules in place to distribute the extra water.

• Fourth, the new rules will address the ongoing drought by encouraging new initiatives for water conservation.



Thank you!Thank you!



Useful Webpages

US Department of the Interior

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g1000/lawofrvr.html

Salinity Control Program

http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/crwq.html

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g1000/lawofrvr.html

Ayb Colorado River

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