We were treated to a Treatise on Colorado Water by recently retired Denver Water Board lawyer and 28 year Monaco South member
Casey Funk. Casey began his career with the water Department at age 18. After finishing Law School he was hired as a junior attorney and subsequently worked his way to the top.
Casey was carrying an empty bucket this morning. When asked what it was for, he dryly answered he was looking for a cubic foot of water, and proceeded to explain how many buckets it would take to make an acre foot of water. When asked what side of the bucket his water was on, he responded, “well it depends.” This was a crafty segue way into his explanation of the Colorado Water Compact crafted in 1906 by Lawyers (aka water buffaloes) and numerous other interested parties. He pointed out there are no such documents back East where water is plentiful and the need to regulate is not a major issue.
The first major users of water in Colorado were miners followed by farmers and ranchers. Lake Mead, Lake Powell & Lake Havasu were also constructed as a result of the Compact to accommodate water end users, specifically California and Mexico.
The Compact, only 3 pages in length, is divided into two sectors known as the Upper Basin-Colorado, Wyoming, Utah & parts of Nevada and the Lower basin-mew Mexico, Arizona(did not ratify), California, parts of Nevada and Mexico(San Luis Rio Colorado). Colorado is affected by flows in Colorado, South Platte, Rio Grande and Arkansas Rivers. Our own Highline canal, constructed in 1879, is a result of the Compact.
(Left - A Younger
Casey Funk)
Casey shared some fascinating facts:
A cubic foot of water = 7.5 gallons per second of flow in the S. Platte.
Lake Dillon-serving Denver Water is 250,000 acre feet of water.
Water consumption equates to 5% of actual water delivered.
In 1933 President Hoover and Greeley native Dell Carpenter met in Santa Fe to plan the construction of Hoover Dam.
Lake Mead stores water for Lower Basin.
All surplus water ends up in California with no priority system established.
There is no water returned from the trans mountain diversions to eastern slope.
The Compact was based on the 1929 Colorado Law of the River document.
The Treaty of 1944 with Mexico delivers 1.5 million AF of water annually.
1984-85 weather was so wet there was no call on river flow in Colorado.
2002 was the worst drought ever, reserves declined to 40%. March 2003 snowstorm cured the drought with 12 feet of snow everywhere.
Water Commissioners measure water and monitor use where possible.
Western Slope water is under assault by Eastern Slope users. San Luis Valley has suffered the most abuse in the past.
Whiskey is for Drinkin’ Water is for Fightin’.
Water use and management has become a critical issue in Colorado. Growth and sustainability are a never ending source for special interests and conflict, from irrigation water returns to deep well mining the beat goes on. Casey presented the tip of the iceberg and is a great source for information relating to Colorado Water law, use and Compact matters. We thank him for his delightful and entertaining presentation and cannot wait for a Water 2.0 presentation…Including a follow up story on the Great NY Mets Garza Finch 158 mph pitcher and how the golf team he played on recovered from their unexpected elimination from a championship year.
Jokesters were on the loose this morning. Tom Hoch started with a sad story of a robbery at a gas station on Parker Road at pump #4, followed by Don Thomson’s dissertation of wifely concerns and ending with a duck tale involving a painful sheriff tricked by a cagey farmer. All in all not to bad a presentation for a bunch of sit down comedians.
Do we have a Drawing?