Blog
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics - Impact of Tier 1 Water Restrictions
Now that Tier 1 water restrictions are in place, review the LWS blog series on the Apportionment of the Colorado River, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, and a Case Study [in AZ] Addressing the Impact of the Drought Contingency Plan!
LWS Presenting at AHS Symposium - Evaluating Well Sustainability in an Extremely Developed Groundwater Basin
Bruce Lytle is providing a technical session on modeling at the 33rd Annual Arizona Hydrological Society Symposium, on Thursday, September 16. The presentation, titled “Evaluating Well Sustainability in an Extensively Developed Groundwater Basin,” will be given in the technical session on Modeling. Ms Adrienne Soder, Senior Hydrologist with Arizona Public Service (APS), is the co-author/presenter.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #18 - Valuation of Water Rights
For any reasons related to the sale of water rights, or to the establishment of a conservation easement on land, it is important that water rights are valued, similarly to how appraisers value land and improvements on the land.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #17 - Conditional & Absolute Water Rights: What’s the Difference?
In Colorado water rights there are two stages of water rights: conditional and absolute, which apply to all tributary water rights. An absolute right is a water right which has been proved in Water Court and the owner may use it indefinitely in accordance with their decree. Conditional water rights can be thought of as a trial period for water rights.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #16 - Colorado's Interstate Compacts - Part 2
Because Colorado is the source of significant surface water supplies for 14 states, there is the potential for Colorado to control the flow and use of water from each of these river basins that originate in Colorado but flow through 13 other states that rely on the waters of these rivers. To protect the availability of water to the states where these rivers flow, Congress has enacted interstate Compacts that determine the terms and conditions in which water is apportioned to Colorado and the other downstream states.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #15 - Colorado's Interstate Compacts
As the state of origin for Multiple river basins, there is the potential for Colorado to control the flow and use of water from each of these river basins, whose waters flow through 13 other states that rely on the waters of these rivers. To protect the availability of water to the downstream states (where these rivers flow), Congress has enacted interstate Compacts that determine the terms and conditions in which water is apportioned to Colorado and the other downstream states.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #14.3 - Case Study Addressing the Impact of the Drought Contingency Plan
In last week’s LWS blog, we discussed the water limitations on the Lower Basin States under different Tiers of the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). Under a Tier 1 restriction, a total reduction of over 18 percent of Arizona’s allocation would be implemented. What does this mean for Arizona water users?
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #14.2 - Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan
The 1922 Colorado River Compact split the river’s resources into two segments, the Upper Basin States & the Lower Basin States. The 1922 Compact allocated the “exclusive beneficial consumptive use of 7,500,000 acre-feet of water per annum” to each Division. However, the 1922 Compact did not establish apportionments of water within each Division. That apportionment was done at a later date. Unfortunately, the apportionments to the Upper and Lower Basin States, 15 million acre-feet (MAF) annually, are more than the Colorado River yields. How are the shortages dealt with equitably? Read on to find out!
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #14.1 - Apportionment of Colorado River Water, by State
In the LWS blog about the importance of Lee Ferry (Nov 17, 2020) we discussed the 1922 Colorado River Compact that allocated 7.5 million acre-feet per year (MAF) each to the Upper Basin States and the Lower Basin States. However, the 1922 Compact did not apportion water within the Upper or Lower Basin States. So how do the states within the Colorado River Basin know how much of the full 7.5 MAF allocation they can put to beneficial use? There are four Upper Basin States (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico) and three Lower Basin States (Nevada, Arizona, and California).
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #13 - Detention vs. Retention Stormwater Ponds
There are two types of stormwater ponds: detention ponds and retention ponds. Detention ponds only detain water for a short period of time, then release the water to a natural watercourse, while retention ponds retain the water for an indefinite period of time. The way a detention pond works is there is typically an outlet at the lowest point in the pond that allows the water to slowly drain through the pond. Therefore, detention ponds typically are dry between storm events. Conversely, retention ponds typically have a weir or some type of overflow device which allows discharge of water but only when inflow exceeds the capacity of the pond and the water level rises above the outlet weir or pipe. As such, retention ponds are typically maintained at a relatively constant water level.
Series: Colorado Water Law Basics #11 - What are the Purposes of Obtaining a Water Court Decree?
There are various reasons for obtaining a water court decree. Each starts with a water right. Water rights can include direct flow, instream flow, and storage to name a few.