[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6573184,"mediaKeyId","3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2","parentId",3110942,"title","Boulder staff report adequate local supply this year; Northern Water urges attention to Colorado River negotiations","audioSeconds",2512,"startMs",728000,"endMs",3240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2&start=728&end=3240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2/thumbnail_728000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573184/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-staff-report-adequate-local-supply-this-year-Northern-Water-urges-attention-to-Colorado-River-negotiations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573184-0ed55b297649bfa436940b35bce0f2de/orig.mp4?Expires=1770426106&Signature=GWMk58LMC~58nG83clnOHlx179JPpbMWbbfZe9W6IRidKevT1JukgZhFcbUlClO1K6z4fl1bCE4kd5wNTu8Z0GhJiVbCL6USHXpqhoZxI8SlH05Livtx3GzcYPysMgw1n6OmqK5r7ax~fz-5FQ5jbJ5BdLCpUloGFkNypT17eNiyG4m0HZN7x8iRBO5ezGwiWWPWB~zW0QPDPuqsVsmcpfY8ILA7VJLecC8yIPDfc7tObbhLva0ftl1ISCSF4a4iHdINMSYbAItVYDFPnnMaWRmB-cfbNIczlY76BUKNv5Cg3pDo7UW2MwMCJVNRpw-yyDgY3WuUdo7Hl49DzGvp8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-04-24T08:49:53.64Z","article","City of Boulder water staff and Northern Water officials told the Water Resources Advisory Board at an April meeting that local water-storage indicators and streamflow forecasts point to a year in which the city is unlikely to declare drought use restrictions, while stressing that broader Colorado River negotiations remain unresolved.

Crystal Mori, senior water resources engineer for the City of Boulder, said the city’s projected storage index (PSI) is about 1.4 — above the drought-alert threshold in the city’s drought plan — and that staff do not currently expect to implement mandatory water-use restrictions. “Preliminary analysis indicates that the PSI is around 1.4, which is comfortably above the 0.85 and at a level where we would not anticipate the need to declare drought restrictions,” Mori said.

The PSI is a ratio of expected supply to anticipated demand that incorporates current reservoir storage in Boulder Creek watersheds, anticipated allotments from the Colorado-Big-Thompson (CBT) system and a 10‑year demand baseline that reflects recent conservation. Under the city’s drought plan, a PSI between 0.85 and 0.56 would trigger a Stage 1 drought alert with a target of up to 20% water savings and limits on lower‑priority outdoor uses.

Mori reviewed supply indicators: South Platte Basin snowpack at roughly 88% of median, Colorado‑headwaters snowpack at about 77% of median, University Camp snow sites at about 90% of median and Lake Eldora at 63% of median (Lake Eldora has already peaked and begun melting). Streamflow forecasts shown to the board were near average, and Northern Water had set an “average” CBT allotment for the year. Mori said the city expects mountain reservoirs to fill this year but will continue to monitor conditions through the summer.

Northern Water General Manager Brad Winn and Water Rights Manager Kyle Whittaker briefed the board on the Colorado River system and ongoing multistate negotiations over operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Whittaker summarized the compact framework and compliance measures that affect reservoir operations and deliveries. He described the compact’s 10‑year average compliance point at Lee Ferry and explained why that averaging system makes operations and negotiations complicated as reservoirs fall and rise.

Whittaker and Winn described the current negotiations as focused not on rewriting the Colorado River Compact but on operating criteria for Powell and Mead after the 2007 interim guidelines expire. They said parties are evaluating alternatives that would balance storage protection and deliverable allocations; some proposals would require larger cuts from Lower Basin users, and others would ask additional contributions from the Upper Basin.

Northern Water staff reiterated technical points about CBT and Windy Gap supplies. Board members asked about how CBT quotas are set; staff explained the quota is a board decision for Northern Water and that, earlier this year, Northern set an 80% CBT quota as the working allocation across its units (Windy Gap orders are administered differently). City and Northern staff also discussed how CBT return flows support South Platte tributary reservoirs and how removing those deliveries could change local streamflow patterns.

Board members asked about long‑term trajectories under climate change. Northern Water staff said modeling includes drought and climate scenarios and that a lower long‑term average inflow would require much larger, basin‑wide adjustments to operations and uses. Both city and Northern staff stressed that municipal per‑capita use has declined in recent decades while total demands have grown with population and development.

The city said it will keep monitoring PSI, snowpack, streamflow forecasts and Northern Water allotments and will revisit drought status if conditions change.

Ending: Staff scheduled continued monitoring through the summer and said any decision to declare water‑use restrictions would be brought back to the board and to city officials for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4-21-25 Water Resources Advisory Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City water staff and Northern Water officials told the board that current indicators — a projected storage index around 1.4, near‑average streamflow forecasts and Northern’s average CBT allotment — mean Boulder is unlikely to declare drought restrictions this year.","taxTitle","Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3386,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6573179,"Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board swears in two members and elects officers",92,72000,164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2&start=72&end=164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2/thumbnail_72000.jpg","/articles/6573179/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-Water-Resources-Advisory-Board-swears-in-two-members-and-elects-officers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573179-283ec841895a0bf8917e61b247d521ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770426106&Signature=VmZL~ACqNzGHY7rO6L~4Pjh76W4inzsIwStpoFl0S-T1os28yXS0iDKGGKyzL~AGJV8C3g3dOBBrxqmqj5xVl6mb~IUI6h4lior4zmSPNtwm7KxUKO7all-rqPZwyWw93lD0rmkI6JaCXg7vqHMSMWfuUuWZulJYSHQYUprckkr1PEFtmVlhv5MudmyckDbjeBxfsjZ3DdicMvpPgqkiUEdiU6BcCNfCJJD-2JrhGlDge536NUc40p7dosc1br2bhQoaeSDKMZSLb0-3PMYzeqJf9SuW9lg54IdV9vtf4Xwnyci8HpFr8x71juthbZNhKI1Hp91RUXpKLtsHUH-mmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of its meeting the City of Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board performed formal organizational business: two new members took the oath of office, the board elected officers, and members approved minutes from the January meeting.

Catherine Malana and Joel Smith each recited the oath of office for members of the Water Resources Advisory Board. Malana stated, “I, Catherine Malana, do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of The United States Of America and of the state of Colorado and the chamber, the charter and ordinances of the city of Boulder and faithfully perform the duties of the office of a member of the Water Resources Advisory Board, which I am about to enter.” Joel Smith recited a substantially similar oath.

The board then held nominations and votes for officers. The board elected Steve Maxwell as chair and Amy Brock as vice chair; the board also selected Katie as secretary by the standard nomination process discussed during the meeting. The board subsequently approved the January meeting minutes by motion and voice vote.

Ending: Staff recorded the organizational actions in the meeting record; the board moved on to its substantive agenda.","The Water Resources Advisory Board sworn in Catherine Malana and Joel Smith as new members and elected board officers for the coming year: Steve Maxwell, chair; Amy Brock, vice chair; and Katie (last name not specified) as secretary. The board also approved the January meeting minutes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6573182,"Boulder staff outline long‑term financial strategy, plan community outreach for potential 2025–26 measures",1675,5605000,7280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2&start=5605&end=7280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3110942-6fdad90ea2f4d2a89a61013033b518e2/thumbnail_5605000.jpg","/articles/6573182/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-staff-outline-longterm-financial-strategy-plan-community-outreach-for-potential-202526-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573182-13af663ed82853e369e0828bc1ce764c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770426106&Signature=DPViFUZ2zmRjxfmKaV3pnpNyKbRG~CuTE1lOpZxBEn4nd73xnlgbdl9I40qNB5SdxcaLunG5Ufuv1kJOpkqGsVORrBujN--H2597OTo-R~03gryCh9ZDipXwPuNGRgJnJGRXHh6GRl79u-3q5VO4rZLeN5R3S8CiCEYEc4lR3qrp78e8MwjqPKsc0I2j4cNKymnIPos1ZZcQS6T2d5TKYqAX5hcxt3SUN~UNKhHvLga0IfVWGfbRStaWYTOUHsZVBmQzjnixm24TMJXemROE0eZ8wMxtQo7LcZuTyBEepWy4tjiqUWuoVkeO9~f9RGD1tyolKxVxBts~a6YGONTE7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charlotte Husky, the City of Boulder budget officer, briefed the Water Resources Advisory Board on the city’s long‑term financial strategy, an organization‑wide effort to identify funding gaps, increase flexibility across city funds and plan possible ballot measures in 2025 and 2026.

Husky said sales and use tax and property tax remain the city’s primary general‑purpose revenues; she estimated sales and use tax accounts for about 40% of general‑purpose revenues and property tax about 12–15%. She told the board that Boulder has a high share of dedicated and restricted sales‑tax revenue — about 56% of current sales taxes are earmarked for specific purposes — and that city leaders want more flexibility to meet changing needs.

As part of the long‑term strategy, staff will run four work streams: a five‑year comprehensive financial plan, alternative funding mechanisms (taxes, fees, grants and public‑private partnerships), core service‑level definitions and a multiyear ballot measure strategy. Husky said staff are refining an unfunded and underfunded needs list (currently estimated at about $38 million for certain capital needs) and will run community conversations called “Fund Our Future” from July through October to gather public priorities.

Husky described options that city leaders are weighing for 2025 and 2026. For 2025, staff are discussing a narrower approach to cover existing asset maintenance and capital needs (examples under consideration include extending the existing 0.3 percent Community Cultural Resilience and Safety sales/use tax beyond its current sunset and creating a broader “public realm” tax to expand parks property‑tax uses and allow debt issuance). Husky gave preliminary revenue estimates: extending the CCRS tax beyond its sunset could generate about $15 million annually; a public‑realm property tax change could generate about $7 million annually and allow earlier borrowing to finance capital work.

Husky said staff plan a statistically valid polling effort in early 2026 and will bring refined recommendations and analysis to city council in May 2026. She invited board members and the public to upcoming Fund Our Future outreach and said the initiative builds on prior Blue Ribbon Commission and budgeting‑for‑resilience recommendations.

Ending: City staff will continue to refine the unfunded needs list, run public engagement this summer and fall, perform polling and return to council with more detailed proposals next year.","City budget staff reviewed a multi‑year long‑term financial strategy that aims to increase revenue diversity and flexibility, address underfunded capital needs and prepare a multiyear ballot strategy. Staff proposed community engagement called 'Fund Our Future' and estimated potential revenue from proposed measures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Boulder staff report adequate local supply this year; Northern Water urges attention to Colorado River negotiations

Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board swears in two members and elects officers

Boulder staff outline long‑term financial strategy, plan community outreach for potential 2025–26 measures