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Northern Water Explains CBT Quota, 80% Allocation and 5,000 Acre-Feet Grand County Arrangement
Summary
Northern Water staff reviewed the Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) system, explained this year’s 80% quota decision, and described an arrangement to make about 5,000 acre-feet available to Grand County from Willow Creek water rights stored in CBT reservoirs.
A Northern Water presenter told the Water Resources Advisory Board on June 15 that the Colorado‑Big Thompson (CBT) project was designed to provide about 310,000 acre‑feet of supplemental supply and that Front Range average diversions run a little above 200,000 acre‑feet annually.
The presenter said the CBT board set an 80% quota this year (histor average quotas range from about 50% to 100%, depending on hydrology), explaining that each 10% of quota corresponds to about 31,000 acre‑feet. Northern Water staff said the 80% decision reflected current storage, municipal planning needs, and a desire to preserve reserves for later in the dry period.
A newly available 5,000 acre‑feet for Grand County Northern Water described a recent purchase of an unused 45 cubic-feet‑per‑second ditch water right below Willow Creek Dam. Because the ditch could not irrigate shaded lands after a failed development, Northern Water acquired the right and has stored and diverted roughly 5,000 acre‑feet to be made available to Grand County. This water, stored in CBT infrastructure and released as permitted, is intended for in‑stream uses, crop finishing in the Grand Valley, and related environmental benefits. Northern Water said it has authorization from Reclamation to proceed with deliveries.
Reservoirs and West Slope relationships The presenter underscored that reservoirs such as Green Mountain and Wolford Mountain were built as part of larger projects to provide mitigation and West Slope benefits; he noted Green Mountain is low this year because of hydrology. He also described cooperative funding between East and West Slope entities and the role of storage and releases in endangered-species recovery programs.
What it means locally Board members asked how Northern Water communicates with municipal providers such as Boulder; staff said Northern Water provides newsletters, standing meetings, and direct operational coordination with city water‑scheduling staff. The presenter said the Willow Creek/Grand County arrangement could serve as a model for Colorado contribution efforts and added the system includes operational provisions that can preserve a portion of the water as a reserve in very dry years.
The CBT quota and the Grand County agreement were presented for information; the board did not take formal action on either item.
