Water Supply Status

• The Cameron Peak and East Troublesome wildfires will likely impact Utilities water availability in 2022 and subsequent years.
• Utilities staff continue to monitor the potential impacts to both the Poudre River basin and the Colorado-Big Thompson project system from these fires, which may be exacerbated if drought conditions persist in the region.
• The Colorado River basin remains in a significant drought. Utilities staff will continue to monitor conditions throughout the year.
• In October, Northern Water set the initial 2023 Colorado-Big Thompson project quota at 40% due to uncertainty regarding Colorado River Basin drought management policy and Northern Water’s commitment to system resiliency. Typically, the initial quota is set at 50%. An additional quota is issued in April each year and more can be issued by the board in later months. Utilities staff assess snowpack, soil moisture, climate outlook and reservoir storage to determine if any actions need to be taken in the spring.
• If we need to implement water restrictions, we have the Water Shortage Action Plan (WSAP) to guide our decisions and actions.
• Water Resources Division maintains close communication with Northern Water regarding any drought response or policy action affecting the CBT system. As of now, there is no indication of drought  management action needed from Northern Water.

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