Adapting to Drought: How Colorado River Basin Forage Producers Are Building Flexibility into Their Operations
The dry winter that we are experiencing in parts of the Rocky Mountains is a reminder that water supply conditions may be forever changing and this change has important implications for agricultural producers who have built operations and customs around historical hydrology. WestWater contributed to a forward-thinking study that investigated how forage producers in the […]
Water trading should get a little easier in Canada
Up in the province of Alberta, water users are pleased to see changes to the Water Act that should make it easier to transfer water between uses. The Water Act had not been updated since 1999 and water users up in Canada are seeing the same supply-demand pressures that are well-known to Western U.S. In Alberta, large agricultural […]
Can groundwater banks dampen water price volatility in California?
A research article was recently published that explores price swings in California’s water market. These price swings are well known by water users, who might see water costs of $100 one year and $2,000 per acre-foot unit in the next year. Basic supply-demand factors driven by California’s variable hydrology are the root cause of these price swings, which can be challenging […]
Texas Voters Invest in Water’s Future: Prop 4 Passes
This week, Texas voters delivered a resounding endorsement of the state’s water future, approving Proposition 4 and dedicating $1 billion annually from existing sales tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund—no new taxes required. This historic $20 billion investment over the next two decades couldn’t come at a more critical time. With Texas adding hundreds […]
When it rains…it pours
After months of persistent dry conditions, Southwest Colorado saw one of the most dramatic hydrologic reversals in recent memory. In early October, much of the San Juan and Animas River Basins remained in moderate to severe drought, with depleted soil moisture and low late-season streamflow. Then, the remnants of Tropical Storm Priscilla swept across the […]
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The dry heat of summer has brought to mind visuals of the old “Westerns” where the landscape was desolate and gritty, as were the characters. So saddle up for this edition of the Water Current where we provide a few news stories that caught our attention this past month. The Good A research paper […]
Investments in alternative water supplies continues to be needed
There is a continued need to invest in municipal and regional water supply solutions that don’t look like the dams and river diversions of the early 20th century. Modern water supply solutions often involve water recycling and reuse, groundwater storage and banking, and advanced water treatment technologies. Some examples of these alternative water supply investments […]
Southern California water agencies reach agreement
In early June, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) entered into an agreement that resolves long-standing legal disputes around the conveyance of conserved water. Through water conservation programs that were initiated as part of the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), SDCWA funds conservation projects in the Imperial […]
Expect Low Reservoir Storage by Year End
The water outlook for 2025 is hot and dry, but water supply availability should not be an issue this year, thanks to the reservoir storage that has been built up over the past two years. However, our water supply savings account will likely be drawn down significantly, such that the snowpack next winter will be […]
Rising Water Costs of Land Development
Many communities in the Western U.S. are grappling with a reality that has been brewing for a while: it is becoming increasingly challenging and expensive to secure new water supplies to support new housing development. Most municipalities follow a policy that “growth pays its own way”, which means that any proposed development project must secure […]