Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:04/10/2013
ATTENDANCE
Time:08:02 AM to 08:55 AM
Brophy
E
Buck
X
Place:HCR 0107
Coram
X
Garcia
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Giron
E
Senator Schwartz
Harvey
E
Jones
E
This Report was prepared by
Lebsock
X
David Beaujon
McLachlan
E
McNulty
X
Mitsch Bush
X
Rankin
X
Rosenthal
*
Saine
E
Sonnenberg
E
Vigil
X
Fischer
X
Schwartz
E
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
South Platte Ground Water StudyBriefing only


08:03 AM -- South Platte Ground Water Study

Representative Fischer, Chair, called the meeting to order and announced that attendance will be taken because the joint committee is required to receive periodic updates on the House Bill 12-1278 ground water study.

08:03 AM

Reagan Waskom, Director of the Colorado Water Institute (CWI), Colorado State University, explained that the General Assembly enacted House Bill 12-1278 concerning the South Platte river alluvial aquifer study and he distributed a handout that describes the purpose of the study and issues that will be examined (Attachment A). The act requires the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in consultation with the State Engineer and the CWI, to conduct a comprehensive study to compile and evaluate available historical hydrologic data in the South Platte River Basin. The act directs the CWCB to contract with the Colorado Water Institute, which will conduct the study independently. The results of the study must be reported to the General Assembly by December 31, 2013. Dr. Waskom explained that the study will seek to determine the reason for rising groundwater levels in the South Platte Basin and identify potential solutions. He also provided a short film that discussed the history of ground water development and regulation in the South Platte River Basin.

130410 AttachA.pdf130410 AttachA.pdf

08:20 AM

Dr. Waskom explained that the CWI created a website for the House Bill 12-1278 concerning the South Platte river alluvial aquifer study that includes a more extensive history of ground water pumping and regulation in the South Platte River Basin (http://www.cwi.colostate.edu/southplatte/index.html). He discussed current ground water pumping in the basin that is primarily used for agricultural irrigation and identified areas in the basin where pumping is curtailed due to insufficient water supplies. He also identified data that is being collected to help identify solutions to the problem of rising ground water and identified other resources that will be used to complete the study.

08:37 AM

Dr. Waskom responded to questions from the committee about the hydrological models used to study the interaction of surface and ground water diversions in the South Platte Basin and public access to these models. He also discussed studies to assess the affect of water consuming plans, called phreatophytes, on ground water levels and other issues.

08:55 AM

The committee adjourned.