Register Today!

Whether it’s for clean water from your kitchen tap, water for hay and livestock or flows to paddle and play on, we all rely on our rivers. Learn more about current Colorado River conditions and water-use management challenges at the Mesa State of the River from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 on the virtual GoToWebinar platform.

The webinar is free.

This virtual event is hosted by the Colorado River District and the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center at Colorado Mesa University. A recording of the webinar will be emailed to registrants after the event. The Mesa State of the River is traditionally held as a community event with a light supper. Because of the novel coronavirus, the sponsors are moving this rendition to a virtual meeting.

Presentations will include forecasts of how much water will be in area rivers and reservoirs later this summer and a report from the Colorado River District. The Colorado Water Conservation Board will talk about the state’s preparation for renegotiation of the multi-state Interim Guidelines for how Lake Powell and Lake Mead are operated, and the State Engineer’s study of Colorado River Compact curtailment strategies should they ever be needed.

Agenda

– Welcome by Hutchins Water Center and Colorado River District staff

– An outlook on our water supply in the Colorado and Gunnison rivers – Erik Knight, hydrologist, Bureau of Reclamation

– Protecting West Slope water as we face an uncertain water future – Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District

– Renegotiating the Interim Guidelines: a Colorado perspective – Becky Mitchell, director, Colorado Water Conservation Board

– State Engineer’s Office Compact Compliance Strategy for the Colorado River Basin – Kevin Rein, state engineer, Colorado Division of Water Resources