Karl Kohlhoff Lecture

"Colorado River (Present Water Lifeline for Seven States).  The Record of Decision - Secretary of Interior:  (How to Operate the River)."
Plus, Arizona's Water Resources Future.

For a number of years there has been educated speculation that the original division of Colorado River water over-allocated the water that, on average, is actually in the river.  That is, an atypical wet period was used to divine allocations within the Colorado River Compact.  The last decade has seen unusually low precipitation and runoff in the Colorado River watershed, so that the two major reservoirs that serve the Colorado River system, and on which southwestern population centers depend, are now only half full.  Future water resources planning on the Colorado must consider hydrologic uncertainty associated with climate change in the western states.  All this creates a very challenging water supply picture that is at the heart of western (and Arizona’s) long-term water planning.  State representatives recently negotiated the broad terms of water allocation on the Colorado during drought conditions—an incredibly important step toward water supply planning stability.  The Kohlhoff presentation will include the terms of the seven states’ conceptual agreement.  He will also describe Arizona’s water supply options after Colorado River water is fully utilized.

Please join us for refreshments at 3:15 p.m.