Water Conservation District gives update at Oct. 13 meeting

The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservation District (UGRWC) gave Colorado River Updates at the Oct. 13 Board of County Commissioners work session. The board reviewed severe drought conditions, Colorado River water management, conservation funding, and wildfire mitigation.

​Senior Program/Office Manager Beverly Richards reported on drought and precipitation conditions, forecast, temperature, and reservoir and lake status. The water year starts and ends on October 1.

​As of the Oct. 6 drought monitor, all of Gunnison County is still in severe to exceptional drought. Recent rainfall improved conditions in neighboring Hinsdale and Saguache counties, while small areas of Gunnison worsened by one drought category since the August report.

In parts of the region, September was unusually wet. A majority of Saguache, Hinsdale, and Gunnison counties received about 110-190% of average precipitation, making Sept. 2026 one of the wettest Septembers on record. As of Oct. 8, precipitation conditions are much more variable, with about 30% of average precipitation in most of the county, though a small area near the city of Gunnison still sits at about 190%. Overall, the water-year precipitation is still dangerously low.

​Temperatures remain unusually warm, with September being the second-warmest on record in 132 years: 5.5% above the 20th-century average and 3.9% above the 1991-2020 average. A local sign of prolonged drought and heat is that St. Mary’s Glacier, a permanent snowfield, had completely melted out by mid-September. However, from late September to early October, soil moisture increased across the basin. Streamflows varied widely, from 24-258%, as the Sept. 19 precipitation event caused sharp increases.

​Storage in the Gunnison River Basin reservoirs was reported at an average of 47% for the entire basin and 33% for the upper basin. Blue Mesa finished the water year with 143,497 acre-feet. It was reported as 17% full on Sept. 30, Taylor Park is around 49% full.

​District General Manager Sonja Chavez and General Counsel Jon McClow reported on reservoir releases driven in part by requirements. The prolonged drought has affected river flows, reservoirs, fish and wildlife, recreation, and local businesses. Low and warm water affect fish spawning, and reservoir shrinkage can concentrate fish and increase predation. Low flows and operational constraints shortened the commercial boating season, creating difficulties for local businesses and seasonal workers.

​“We’re in a 30-year prolonged drought,” explained Chavez. “The impacts of next year could be more severe than what we saw this year. We have storage and planned releases, but it’s not going to change the average.”

​The Bureau of Reclamation proposed Lake Powell operating framework was described as a 10-year plan, revisited every 2 years, with releases ranging from 5-12 million acre-feet annually. The objective was to keep Lake Powell near 3,510 feet, adjusting releases as needed. Lower releases could affect upper basin flows.

​Reclamation has made $100 million available to upper division states for a voluntary, compensated water-conservation program. Colorado’s proposed approach would distribute reductions across sectors and protect participants’ water rights from abandonment claims. The program’s details and timeline are still unsettled.

​The Gunnison River District Update, given by McClow, was described as being actively involved in Colorado River discussions, drawing on earlier work including water-banking and risk studies dating back to 2002, to inform current conservation and operating proposals. McClow noted few applications to a conservation program over the past summer, with the expectation that applications for next summer’s work may be submitted in January 2027. Water users’ cooperation and significant reductions in use were praised, and users in Gunnison helped keep municipalities supplied through the summer.

​“Gunnison valley water users were very diligent this year,” said Chavez. “Cooperation across the valley was exemplary this year.”

​Low reservoir levels complicate water operations looking ahead. McClow included concerns about reservoirs sloughing along their sides and the need to manage releases carefully. Separately, the basin-roundtable update reported that no grant applications had been reviewed for the water supply programs, but expected next year’s funding allocation to remain the same.

Community initiatives focused on translating shared water and forest management goals into local projects. The Headwaters to Home effort explores pooled funding for vegetation management, but Commissioner Jonathan Houck explained that it still needs a clear work plan before any money is put forward. Existing efforts, such as the county’s regional wildfire council, the implementation council, partnerships with the Colorado State Forest Service, and the Wet Meadows Collaborative, were cited as potential ways to coordinate work across public and private lands. The drought is ongoing and will remain so, and UGRWC suggested stronger public messaging and possible water restrictions.