AGENDA: Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Colorado River is the primary surface water resource of the Southwest, providing water to approximately 30 million residents. Studies and policy decisions associated with a recently completed EIS point to an ever-tightening water supply due to longstanding growth pressures exacerbated by significant climate change impacts. Given these trends, how can the river’s environmental needs be satisfied? On March 21st, the Center’s Western Water Policy Program brought together four leading Colorado River experts along with an audience of approximately 70 water professionals to discuss “Securing Environmental Flows on the Colorado River in an Era of Climate Change: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.” Presentations by Brad Udall (Director, NOAA/CU Western Water Assessment), Terry Fulp (Deputy Regional Director U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado River Basin), Robert Adler (Professor of Law, University of Utah), and Jennifer Pitt (Senior Resource Analyst, Environmental Defense) provided an overview of the complex issues, and set the stage for the follow-up workshop held later that afternoon. The event was part of the Center’s long-standing “Hot Topics in Natural Resources” series