[{"_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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6492128,"mediaKeyId","5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e","parentId",5456338,"title","Study of Upper Colorado irrigated meadows: satellites track water savings, full‑season withdrawals cut productivity sharply in a dry year","audioSeconds",1360,"startMs",1458000,"endMs",2818000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e&start=1458&end=2818","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e/thumbnail_1458000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6492128/Colorado/Study-of-Upper-Colorado-irrigated-meadows-satellites-track-water-savings-fullseason-withdrawals-cut-productivity-sharply-in-a-dry-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492128-f75331acae5d3fb98e7b49acce1c0aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1773358261&Signature=WaPCNA0HwdW4AwiWjXeu2a~OOI0G-NXUKYKtknU4anCMrLjUTiBNTYSfM4FVRjeDCezCD1c1t~TAOGXWDPbgLu8Hmub2gbTBCNnA3OONivj7aanYxq8rmf73CJB8Dp9LpVG8tGU6ovfx7vCW5SPioJDVmy1TfZhnpd-BPSi~v4XLBG58TSsPsFllNgfzVcFx8kI41wU0dE2EDS4jJS-dTbv97kcAq1Y~xD7YM77j~-r9R-56nF6s3mYdk9FwGkf7S77CeGLXT35MacsnbS0MzL6r~7YPP8WnJh2BO3D5bqDBQBVPwH9RVv6xBKZOoKN0hc0RXFZ1~uBvfIe18cYcMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado River District","date","2025-07-23T16:59:25.207Z","article","Hannah Holm, director of strategic projects and partnerships at Merrick Berger, presented interim findings from a multi‑partner study of conserved consumptive use in high‑altitude irrigated meadows in the Upper Colorado River Basin (study period 2020–2023). The project tested full‑season and partial‑season irrigation withdrawals on paired fields, combined instrumented field measurements with satellite‑based Open ET estimates, and evaluated ecological and economic outcomes.

\"Tom basically said, 'let's stop guessing,' and so that was really the emphasis to get this project going,\" Holm said, describing the project's origin and the motivation to replace uncertainty with field measurements and comparative data. The study included instrumented flux towers and extensive sampling at treatment and reference fields in Grand County and elsewhere, and it compared those in‑field measures with satellite estimates.

Major findings
- Remote sensing validation: satellite‑based Open ET estimates were \"pretty close\" to the flux‑tower measurements in the study area, supporting the use of the eMetric/Open ET methodology for program monitoring.
- Consumptive‑use reductions: complete irrigation removal in treatment fields did not eliminate consumptive use; the study found roughly a 50% reduction in consumptive use in the treatment year rather than a 100% cut, because of residual soil moisture and continued limited vegetation growth.
- Productivity impacts: productivity (forage yield) on fully withdrawn fields fell sharply in the dry treatment year—Holm noted averages that approached a near total loss for those fields (presentation referenced an average productivity decline on the order of 90%+ in 2020), though recovery trends were observed in subsequent years and varied by field.
- Partial‑season withdrawals: fields that had irrigation withheld for only part of the season performed substantially better in productivity and showed smaller long‑term impacts.
- Economic results: payments to participating producers averaged about $621 per acre in the demonstration project. Hay‑only producers who received payments tended to come out ahead in the dry treatment year; producers who relied on grazed forage to support cattle sometimes faced net losses because of additional feed purchases and operational impacts.

Social and program design implications
Holm emphasized that program design must account for year‑to‑year climate variability and producer circumstances. The study found that payment design, timing and whether acres support livestock or hay‑for‑sale are major determinants of whether participants are economically better off. Interviews also showed trust, neighbors' decisions on shared ditches and producers' attachment to meadow condition influenced willingness to enroll and accept reduced irrigation.

Research next steps
The partnership plans final reporting and wider dissemination through the Colorado Basin Roundtable website. The project has spurred follow‑on trials testing alternative forages (for example, triticale and silphium) and drought‑resilient crops that may offer resilience to reduced irrigation, with additional trials underway in partnership with Colorado State University and the Land Institute.

Ending
Holm and project partners recommended careful program design—favoring partial‑season or targeted approaches where appropriate, paying attention to year type when contracting payments and continuing both ground‑truth measurement and remote sensing validation to refine estimates used in incentive programs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Day 2, Third Quarterly Board Meeting, July 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A River District‑sponsored study combining flux‑tower measurements and Open ET satellite data found that full‑season irrigation withdrawals reduced consumptive use roughly 50% in the treatment year but caused severe, near‑total loss of forage productivity in that dry year; partial‑season withdrawals had much smaller productivity impacts.","taxTitle","Upper Colorado River Commission, Governor's Boards and Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Colorado","taxId",28249,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6492133,"River District auditors issue unmodified opinion on 2024 financials; note new accounting standard",691,15000,706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e&start=15&end=706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e/thumbnail_15000.jpg","/articles/6492133/Colorado/River-District-auditors-issue-unmodified-opinion-on-2024-financials-note-new-accounting-standard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492133-64187f6e5046631444ef0d2b4a116ccc/orig.mp4?Expires=1773358260&Signature=gpnV~dQ333SdEUuHOJUA2GzjbxIiX0lfsfc~p76~MYjDde7TDoH0AyES-QT1gnGc4o-fVuozLLQnalqbzjoA6aMQkU~T8ytw0lS3ix3LrOs4XcG6GuqFXR31PwFpgrYkyEWOd1gp73k~dIGfVWz3ni8Rx97cedBJib5kSZi-9pkIoh~K~3gVjb1uXPhzn5mJTILt~PC3fkRNzFF~6mCIndniDAVZ~aCXtOYhfmol0DIFwL~bzgMppe7ZzFwdQ4oOQaqA1TzXkTT4n8VADcGmlyWsgqB8dfsgjO4OeAq26ov1h0Ed3R6xrUl6Cn2DKZR2PgGWlhBm6BKZXCqcbXeTLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The River District's external auditor presented an unmodified (clean) opinion on the district's financial statements for the year ended 2024 and recommended the board take formal action to accept the audit.

The audit presentation, led by Matt Miller, partner with McMahon and Associates, outlined the firm's three-phase approach—planning, field work and reporting—and summarized key results, including a reported net increase in fund balance of about $5.3 million for the year and an unmodified opinion on the financial statements. \"Ultimately, I guess, the purpose of the audit is to issue an opinion on the financial statements themselves,\" Miller said. He described the planning work as including data analytics, vendor‑payment tests and review of internal controls, and noted the firm performed on‑site field work in April.

Why it matters: a clean audit indicates the auditors found the district's financial statements to be fairly presented in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The auditors also called out a required accounting change—new guidance on recording estimated liabilities for compensated absences—which appears in the report as an \"emphasis of matter.\" That change affects how the district estimates liabilities for accumulated leave (for example, sick time that may be probable of being used or paid out), and Miller emphasized it is an accounting estimate rather than a cash outlay that immediately changes operating results.

Key details
- Opinion: unmodified (clean) audit opinion, as shown in the auditors' report.
- Emphasis of matter: adoption of a new accounting standard requiring an estimate for certain compensated absences that were not previously recorded.
- Fund results: auditors reported roughly $5.3 million of net income for the year; auditors noted a large transfer from the general fund into the Community Funding Partnership fund.
- Reserves and operations: auditors and staff discussed the general fund balance relative to annual operating expenditures; the auditors described the general fund as running \"pretty lean,\" with annual operating expenditures close to about $8 million.

Auditor description of work
Miller described the audit program in detail, including testing bank confirmations, capital asset additions and depreciation, payroll recalculations and tracing payroll to IRS filings, and accounts‑payable review. He said McMahon performs a full suite of analytics, importing sections of the district's database to flag unusual vendor activity and other data anomalies. \"We import entire sections of your database into our software, and we run a bunch of data analytics on it,\" he said.

Board and staff comments
Board members and several directors praised the River District's finance and administration staff for maintaining controls and producing the financial statements in‑house—something Miller noted is relatively uncommon for a government entity of the district's size. A board member said staff \"do a really remarkable job,\" noting internal controls and segregation of duties across the small administrative team.

Next steps
Staff asked the board to take formal action to accept the audit if the report meets the board's approval. A motion to accept the 2024 audit was requested during the meeting; the transcript does not record an explicit vote result on that motion in the excerpt provided.

Ending
The auditors said they will issue two formal reports: the auditor's opinion on the financial statements and a governing board letter that highlights items for board attention. Staff and auditors said they are available to answer follow‑up questions as the board completes its formal acceptance process.","External auditors gave the River District a clean (unmodified) audit opinion for the year ended 2024, flagged an \"emphasis of matter\" for a new accounting standard on compensated absences, and staff recommended the board take formal action to accept the audit.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":79,"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6492121,"River District board approves federal affairs contracts and awards HDR contract for dam‑safety alternative analysis",8309000,9000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e&start=8309&end=9000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456338-1436894a4ff4984ec323eb9051160c1e/thumbnail_8309000.jpg","/articles/6492121/Colorado/River-District-board-approves-federal-affairs-contracts-and-awards-HDR-contract-for-damsafety-alternative-analysis","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492121-5c3b55e8eaeb782f7a7f45cb8e69ddeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773358261&Signature=Rd-NNxMWBvu5xd-j40dxJHPwJ8hp440d66HKh3jcjOk~X8oXM0y4jNjv4ulYPgi8EWRDeSnO8-zU6hqt~YUHGLyy8FF7V5D5Mwp~OxDH9HkUvcX-TPITZi6hQfv3XOrgIchraBc0aAzMwYgDGamKqipuZ5ZBynT0cFXlVhMCtFdbYUsysVRG0FfwQ76-uCbY9n0JFZ0McnWo030S92KTz2Js-f7mNCDH1CZ4vkeHVOTyutMkOdHPzXX93SG3fhZAZqltxgkN0a-Gn-XcimuZWqXzFYHIL1ivU5mmd-QLBN-I587hqf5EZQkNyQ4LT4xA1l1V7AYBjEue2HroUG~gJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the meeting the River District board considered and acted on several contractual approvals related to federal affairs and dam safety.

Federal affairs contracts
Staff requested board authorization for two federal affairs contracts that had been operating under the general manager's authority and sought formal board approval to extend or enter into new one‑year contracts: (1) counsel for federal policy work with John Bezdek (Water and Power Law) for up to $60,000, and (2) a government relations contract with the Ferguson Group for up to $36,000. The Ferguson Group contract was moved, seconded and approved in the meeting; the recorded vote on that item in the provided transcript was \"All those in favor, say aye\" followed by \"Motion passed.\" The transcript records the Bezdek engagement as brought forward for approval but does not include a recorded board vote in the provided excerpt.

Dam safety alternative analysis contract
Staff presented an RFP process for an alternative analysis intended to evaluate a range of potential modifications to reduce risk at Wilford/Richard Dam (the dam safety evaluation work that followed the 2020 CDSC recommendations). Two proposals were received. Staff recommended awarding the alternative analysis contract to HDR in an amount not to exceed $294,184, citing cost, continuity and prior work HDR has performed for the project. Board members discussed the purpose of the alternative analysis—developing a prioritized and implementable list of modification alternatives so the district can act quickly if the data indicate a need—and confirmed state dam safety staff were consulted and supportive of the work as a priority recommendation.

The motion to award HDR the contract (not to exceed $294,184) was moved and seconded and the board approved it; participants recorded \"Aye\" and the motion passed.

Votes at a glance
- Ferguson Group (federal government relations): authorize one‑year extension/contract not to exceed $36,000 — outcome: approved (motion passed; quorum vote recorded as \"aye\").
- John Bezdek (federal counsel, Water and Power Law): request to authorize general manager to enter one‑year contract not to exceed $60,000 — outcome: not specified in provided transcript (item presented to board; no recorded final vote in excerpt).
- HDR (alternative analysis for dam safety): award contract, not to exceed $294,184 — outcome: approved (motion passed; vote recorded as \"aye\").

Next steps
Staff will finalize contracts consistent with the board's authorizations and proceed with the HDR alternative analysis; report‑back and implementation options will return to the board for decisions if feasible modifications are identified.","The board authorized or approved multi‑year federal affairs contracts and voted to award an alternative‑analysis contract to HDR for Richard/Wilford Dam safety work; vote details were recorded for some motions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Study of Upper Colorado irrigated meadows: satellites track water savings, full‑season withdrawals cut productivity sharply in a dry year

River District auditors issue unmodified opinion on 2024 financials; note new accounting standard

River District board approves federal affairs contracts and awards HDR contract for dam‑safety alternative analysis