ANNOUNCEMENT:
RWAPA will be hosting a public meeting at 5 PM
on Wednesday, April 12 at the Basalt Library
to discuss the 2017 Boat Inspection Program at Ruedi Reservoir. Please attend if you
are a Ruedi boater or have an interest in this issue.
Welcome to the Ruedi Water and Power Authority (RWAPA) Website. This site will provide you with information on RWAPA activities and policies and will provide information on water issues of interest to the Roaring Fork Valley. We will also provide resources, links and information regarding local water matters, other water agencies, and regional and national water issues. We invite you to browse our site and to contact us if you have any questions or comments about the information provided.
Since 1981 RWAPA has provided a voice that speaks on behalf of the entire valley on a broad range of water issues. RWAPA is recognized regionally, statewide and nationally as representing the water-related interests of the Roaring Fork, Crystal and Fryingpan valleys.
Regional Water Efficiency Plan Moves Forward
The Ruedi Water and Power Authority sponsored the Regional Water Efficiency Plan, aimed at coordinating and strengthening water conservation efforts throughout the watershed, which was published and adopted by local municipal water providers in September, 2015. Since then, the Plan has moved into the implementation phase and local jurisdictions are moving forward with various plans and projects. The Town of Basalt and local non-profit CORE (Community Office for Resource Efficiency) have submitted grant applications to the Colorado Water Conservation Board aimed at funding, respectively, a program to retrofit irrigation systems with water-saving devices and a comprehensive outreach and education program. The Town of Carbondale is researching ways to monitor in-town irrigation ditches to reduce waste. The City of Aspen has drafted Landscaping Standards to assure that private lawns and gardens are using sustainable plantings and efficient irrigation systems. RWAPA is continuing to convene local water providers to trade information and to brainstorm new approaches to Plan implementation. Please check back with us for further information as the Water Efficiency Plan takes effect.
State Water Plan Implementation
The State of Colorado adopted the State Water Plan in 2015 and the past year has seen implementation actions starting to move forward. The Colorado Basin is the subject of a new study aimed at assuring the use of the river is not curtailed due to the requirements of the 1922 Colorado Compact. Ongoing drought in the Southwest and increasing demand continues to put pressure on the Colorado River watershed and this study will recommend actions to assure that the State of Colorado can continue to use its full allocation of the river’s waters. The State has begun an update of the State Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) to provide the most accurate date on water availability state-wide and the gap between that supply and the demands of municipal, industrial, agricultural and recreational users. Funding of implementation actions has been a challenge given the drop in severance tax revenues. The Colorado Basin Roundtable continues to meet every other month to review grant requests and to keep up to date on developments in other basins and state-wide. For more information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/cowaterplan.
Announcements