The Colorado River runs 1,450 miles, starting in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and running through to its current end point in Mexico. Along this journey the river provides clean and reliable water supplies to nearly 40 million people in seven states, 30 Tribal nations and in Mexico. But hotter and drier conditions, coupled with decades of taking more water from the river than it can afford to give, have left it depleted. So much so that the river now stops running well short of its historic end point. It no longer reaches the sea in the Gulf of California.

For too long our water policies have done only enough to prop the river up when it reaches the point of collapse. We cannot continue to prioritize solutions that only bridge from one crisis to the next. It is clear that we need long-term strategies that will keep the river flowing, not just today, but far into the future.

That is why it is so important that the Bureau of Reclamation is focusing its next round of Colorado River Basin funding on projects that restore critical ecosystems and habitat or provide other environmental benefits for communities. In doing this, the bureau is reflecting what many communities impacted by ongoing drought, wildfires and flooding have been advocating for. A holistic approach that focuses on both water conservation and nature-based solutions.

I commend Commissioner Camille Touton for her leadership and her staff for their work. Their efforts will ensure that drought mitigation funds are available to benefit watersheds and communities within the Colorado River Basin.

The funding for this work was allocated under the Inflation Reduction Act. Public entities and Tribes within the Upper Colorado River Basin are eligible to apply for funding. Projects can make a request to be considered through October 14, 2024. Final funding announcements will be made in the spring of 2025.

Through this funding, the Bureau of Reclamation has the opportunity to contribute to the solutions that match the scale of challenges confronting the Basin. Here are some examples of projects that demonstrate the kinds of strategies that help create long-term resilience.

Improving river flows and the local economy

Helper City is located halfway between Salt Lake City and Moab. This historic Utah rail and mining town is now transitioning its economy to focus on outdoor recreation. The Price River is central to its appeal as a tourist destination.

For a century, the Price River has been dammed and diverted – leaving it completely dry in some areas. For a decade, efforts have been made to improve river flows. This includes removing old piling structures, concrete, junk, invasive plants and other impediments from a seven-mile stretch of the river. The work culminated in the removal of the Gigliotti Dam in Helper. The dam made the river impassable by boats or fish, limiting its recreational use.

The Helper Revitalization Project is supported by local, state and federal partners, including Trout Unlimited. The project has opened up the river for boaters and improved fish habitats. This not only creates a healthier river, it boosts the city’s outdoor recreation economy.

“The Gigliotti Dam removal project is a great example of how patience, partnerships and federal and state funding programs can come together to do something for a river and a community that seems nearly impossible," says Jordan Nielson, Utah State Director for Trout Unlimited. “Recreation, water conveyance for agriculture, and opening the river up for sensitive species like Colorado River cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker has provided for a much healthier river stretch. Helper City has been a great convener of partnerships to restore their stretch of the Price River and will be a catalyst for broader-scale work moving into the future.”

Increasing river health and supporting endangered fish

The 15-Mile Reach is the stretch of the Colorado River that runs from east of Grand Junction, Colorado, to where the Colorado River converges with the Gunnison River just west of town. Due to high demand on its supply, the river can reach levels so low that it struggles to support four endangered, native fish. That is why the Colorado Water Trust (CWT), Grand Valley Water Users Association and the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District are working together to improve water levels at critical times of the year.

Working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Fish Recovery program, the groups designed an agreement to secure water from upstream sources. This includes water conservation efforts that are compensated from a variety of public and private funds. This conserved water is first delivered to the Grand Valley Power Plant to produce hydropower.

Once the water has cycled through the plant, it is released back to the 15-Mile Reach during critical times for the recovery of the endangered fish. The lease benefits endangered fish and their habitat while supporting a clean energy source.

"Colorado Water Trust's partnership with Orchard Mesa Irrigation District and the Grand Valley Water Users Association has enabled us to add nearly 10,000 acre-feet of water back into the Colorado River since 2020," says Kate Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Water Trust. "That's over 3 billion - yes, with a B! - gallons of water supporting endangered fish, palisade peaches, clean power and thriving western Colorado communities."

Reducing damage from catastrophic wildfires

Catastrophic wildfires are fueled by a combination of unnatural overgrowth due to past management practices and increasing temperatures due to climate change. Outsize blazes can destroy entire communities and release massive quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. This further exacerbates climate change. Ecological forest management helps create critical firebreaks and reduces damage from post-fire flooding.

The Forests to Faucets program is a joint effort between Denver Water, the U.S. Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. It focuses on forested areas where a severe wildfire would have a devastating impact on water supplies. The program has treated more than 120,000 acres by planting trees and thinning overly dense forests. More than 1.3 million trees were planted in burn areas as part of the program since 2010.

To protect those who rely on the Colorado River, we need to protect the river itself

These projects and others like them show what we can accomplish when we prioritize the health of the river and listen to all communities that depend on it.

We know that any plan to protect those who rely on the Colorado River has to start with protecting the river itself. This means leaving enough water in the river to keep it flowing. The Bureau of Reclamation is taking a critical step forward towards this goal. Together we can ensure that the Colorado River continues to provide for the next generation.