Risks beyond diminishing the supply of water · Remaining water unsafe or undrinkable · Saltwater intrusion Subsidence · Cracks in the earth · Moving an entire city because it is sinking Support the show

Great report from the New York Times · Reflecting from 1800 to 1950 · Endless bounty of all resources Rain and snow · Rain refills aquifers in east · Snowmelt feeds western rivers Thirsty farms and growing urban areas tap aquifers · Overused and under regulated · Overuse causes subsidence which reduces aquifer capacity Support the show

Points of Agreement · Current operations not working · Next set of rules should be interim Where they disagree · Upper Basin says Lower Basin exceeding allocations · Lower Basin wants to include all upstream reservoirs Support the show

Strange things happen · Metropolitan Water District of Southern California · Imperial Irrigation District Role reversals · Jeffrey Kightlinger now advising Imperial · Imperial suddenly in mood to collaborate rather than demand Support the show

Kickbacks or other forms of favors · Not at State employee level · Maybe elected officials Such a sweet deal given to Fondomonte · Low price on land rental · All the water you can possibly use for free Public employees encourage monitoring water use · Nixed or ignored at the elected level · Does this stink to you? Support the show

A British newspaper reports on our drought · Alfalfa is king · Powell and Mead have risen to 36% of capacity from 28% Our country is disconnected from food supply · Forage crops can be converted to save water · Farmers love alfalfa: it’s reliable with a steady demand Need for alternatives · Rotational crops · Possibly hydroponics Support t...

Jennifer Gimbel · Extensive and impressive experience · Shares thoughts and ideas Discussion of Five Ideas · Easier processes for farmers to sell saved water · 1041 Regulations impacts and benefits to local citizens · Strong agreement on Two Forks Reservoir · Stop discouraging buy and dry · Create special zones fo...

Ocean desalination plant being discussed · Where’s the ocean? · Straw into the northern tip of the Gulf of Mexico Environmental and economic constraints · $5 billion is a low-ball estimate · Pipelines to cross national park and environmentally sensitive areas Would you bet on this project? Support the show

Arizona Big Media · Blatantly touting a vast resource of water in Arizona · Hub of data center and semiconductor plants Arizona officials waking up · No more housing developments in Phoenix proper · Some rural areas passing much needed groundwater laws Support the show

Leprino cheese factory in Greeley, Colorado · About 1000 AF a year of milk · Mile is 87% water Is that water state water or private water? · Is this similar to diverted water that is not consumed? · What if milk sent out of state? Support the show

The kick the can legislature · Only 16 water bills this session · Like we need another study State should step up to complex and sensitive water issues · Dan Beard – saying it like it is · Our problems are immediate, but others are dire Support the show

Farm Box Farms – containerized farming Eric Gostenki, VP of Sales · Produce 250 containerized farms per year and growing · Experimenting both with crops and concepts Joaquin Gonzales, Director of Fodder · 1 container produces as much cattle fodder as 30 acres of irrigated ground · Containerized fodder uses less than 5% of irrigated acreage Support the show

Happy until lawsuits filed · Abandonment of water rights · Potential expansion of use Prior appropriation provides path forward for dispute resolution · Times change farming practices and technology/manpower requirements · Society operates under reactive system · Only crisis prompts change Technical issues that affect water users · Free ri...

Meeting with Rob Graves at the Howling Cow Restaurant · Saving water – what is it and who can benefit? · Monitoring use of water is a problem Other questions about moving water · Water quality issues · Thornton and 1041 issues Elephant in the room · Buy and dry close in to the cities · Only the three Ds will stop farmers: Debt, Death...

Bad omen for the Colorado water world Five things to consider · Stop discouraging buy and dry · Do away with HB 1041 · Pass bill to allow farmers to sell saved water · Resurrect Two Forks · Create a special zone for buy and dry Support the show

Tragedy of the commons · Referring to a public resource · Transaction costs are almost prohibitive Disincentive to saving water · Demand management in real time · Can’t fix what you don’t know Cities’ rights administered in a more lax manner Support the show

Martin Sarley, past river commissioner, Ian Ferrell, attorney · Importance of quantifying river conditions · Administer water per laws and court rulings As much an art form as a science · Different administrations depending on history and district · Goal to be same with real time data Support the show

More discussions with Evan Jeffries · Piping saves water simply by requiring less to transport · Leaving stubble from harvest keeps soil moisture higher History shows why most water is owned by farmers · Other issues affecting farmers · Farmers in CA & AZ benefited unfairly from Mead and Powelll Support the show

Experiences of Evan Jeffries in Evergreen and Otis · Running cows in a regenerative process · Manages and advises ranchers on water Some illegal water ponds protected for use for firefighting · 60 identified in Jefferson County · $300k to $500k per AF on Bear Creek Support the show

Colorado River Basin talks with limited results · Six states agree · California holds out Lawsuits are inevitable · Time consuming · Indian tribes left out again Support the show