MONTE VISTA — Water was a central theme of the first day of the Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference.

During the morning session, a panel discussion was held with Pat McDermott and Craig Cotten of the Division of Water Resources, Cleave Simpson Amber Pacheco, Chris Ivers and Marissa Fricke of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, Nathan Coombs of the Conejos Water Conservancy District and Dr. Russ Schumacher, State Climatologist for Colorado State University.

Heather Dutton of the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District served as the moderator.

McDermott opened the discussion with a review of the water levels recorded in 2019 and the projected 2020 forecast. He noted that 2019 was significantly better, with 900,000-acre feet recorded overall for the Rio Grande Basin.

As precipitation decreased going into the second half of the year, curtailment was reduced considerably, with 39% of the flows going to meet the obligations of the Rio Grande Compact. McDermott further noted that Colorado would also have a very slight debt under the terms of the going into the new water season. The 2020 forecast is from the National Weather Service is predicting a dry spring for the entire Southwest Region up to July. How the forecast will affect the irrigation season remains to be seen.

Cotten focused his comments on reminding the audience about the need to comply with the newly adopted rules for non-exempt wells. He also acknowledged that Judge Michael Gonzales would be taking over water-related cases as the new Chief Judge for the 12th Judicial District.

Fricke noted that the RGWCD is pleased to see that data is showing that pumping has seen a reduction in Subdistrict number one.  She further observed that while the trend seems to be heading in the right direction, “We’ve still got a ways to go,” she said. She also thanked producers who have voluntarily reduced their consumption. Also, RGWCD is continuing to explore the viability of the Alternative Transfer Method Program for ag to ag use.

Simpson presented the final portion of the discussion by noting that the Renewable Water Resources Export proposal remains the most significant challenge to the Rio Grande Basin. He expressed his belief that the Basin faces enormous obstacles.

He went on to note that the solution “shouldn’t come at the expense of a permanent water supply.” While RWR has not yet filed its application, Simpson warned that the proponents of the measure are serious about what they are doing. He reminded the audience that the Basin is under no legal obligation to retire wells or stream flows, concluding that the situation is expected to further unfold within the next few months or the year. He encouraged the audience to stay informed and involved and be a voice for the way of life that the San Luis Valley has come to know and love.