City staff: Boulder’s water portfolio sturdy now but long‑term risks justify integrated water supply plan

City utilities officials told the Boulder City Council at a study session that the city’s current water portfolio is in a strong position today but faces significant long‑term uncertainties that warrant a formal integrated water supply plan.

At the Oct. 5 study session, Joe Tadeuchi, director of the city’s utilities department, introduced a technical presentation by Crystal Mori, senior water resources engineer, that covered Colorado water law, Boulder’s three supply sources, modeled future supply‑demand scenarios to 2050 and a menu of policy options. “I think there’s some really positive news in the work in the presentation we have done and that it demonstrates that we have a really good supply situation,” Tadeuchi said.

The presentation laid out that Boulder draws roughly two‑thirds of its municipal supply from the two Boulder Creek watersheds (North Boulder Creek and South/Bridal) and roughly one‑third from transbasin supplies originating in the Colorado River headwaters and delivered by Northern Water.…