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Middle Colorado

Home1 / Water Planning2 / Colorado Basin Implementation Plan3 / Middle Colorado / Events4
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Middle Colorado Implementation Plan

Developed as part of the Colorado Basin Implementation Plan, which in turn contributed to Colorado’s statewide Water Plan.

The Middle Colorado Region includes the mainstem Colorado River from the Eagle/Garfield County line at the head of Glenwood Canyon to the confluence of Roan Creek at the Town of De Beque. Some of the smaller tributaries include No Name, Grizzly Creek, Canyon Creek, Divide Creek, Rifle Creek, Garfield Creek, Mamm Creek, Parachute Creek, and Roan Creek. Several communities are located along the Colorado River and include Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Parachute, Battlement Mesa, and De Beque.

Of the seven regions within the Colorado Basin, the Middle Colorado supports the second highest number of irrigated acres at over 52,000. A significant portion of this acreage is irrigated with water from the smaller tributaries. This region is supported by the Silt Water Conservancy District, Bluestone Water Conservancy District and the West Divide Water Conservancy District. This area is also served by the Bureau of Reclamation Silt Project (BOR, 2014) which is located near the towns of Rifle and Silt.

The Middle Colorado Region is also characterized by the ongoing natural gas drilling and potentially marketable oil shale formations. It contains more natural gas wells than any region in the state outside of Weld County. In the past, this region was also subject to significant conditional water rights filed by energy concerns for a future oil shale industry. One of the largest oil shale reserves in the world is located within the Middle Colorado Region. For many years, oil companies have tried to extract the oil from this hard rock but have yet to find a cost-effective method. Several research and development operations are ongoing in the region and surrounding areas to find the key to unlocking this valuable resource. If development of oil shale becomes a viable industry, water use will increase.

The Middle Colorado Region has just recently emerged as an identifiable reach of the Colorado River through the efforts of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) (MCWC, 2014). The MCWC is in the process of creating a watershed plan that will identify opportunities and plans for protecting and enhancing the health of the watershed.

Colorado Water Plan

View Plan

As part of this planning effort, the MCWC is currently assessing existing water quality issues. The Colorado River through this reach is a direct source of drinking water for the Town of New Castle (redundant supply with Elk Creek), Town of Silt, City of Rifle, Parachute, Battlement Mesa and De Beque. This reach is impacted by all Colorado River Basin headwater TMDs which take high quality clean water, leaving less water and lower flows to help dilute the poorer quality water downstream. Concentrations of salinity, selenium, hardness, total dissolved solids, iron and manganese are examples of potential water quality concerns through this reach. Additional concerns include emerging contaminants and endocrine disruptors; however, limited water quality data has been collected to understand the trends. The City of Rifle, in particular, has experienced the significant impacts of water quality concerns and is currently in the process of building a new surface water drinking water plant using Colorado River water. The expense of this new plant has significantly increased water rates for the citizens of the City of Rifle.

The Endangered Species Act designation of critical habitat for three of the T&E listed fish species extends upstream on the Colorado River mainstem from the 15-Mile Reach in Mesa County to the main Rifle I-70 Bridge. This designation has resulted in more stringent discharge permit standards for wastewater treatment discharges. This same reach of river is also home to three native fish species of concern: the roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, and flannelmouth sucker. Management actions are needed to ensure that populations of these species do not decline to the point requiring a T&E listing.

One of the region’s most important needs is to protect water quality and riparian habitat along the Colorado River. Plans matching future land use with restoration needs for the numerous abandoned and existing gravel pits should be developed to provide comprehensive standards focusing on restoration of riparian habitat; this is an element that will be addressed through watershed planning efforts. Finally, this region may experience uncertainty with regards to water supply because of the potential oil shale industry development and the significant amount of conditional water rights which, if developed, may impact the priority of other water rights in the Colorado Basin.

Colorado Basin Implementation Plan

View Plan

Region Themes

Middle Colorado Region


Consumptive Uses

Middle Colorado Region


Environmental & Recreational Conditions

Themes and
Supporting Vulnerabilities
MethodsIdentified Projects
Protect and Restore Healthy Streams, Rivers, Lakes and Riparian Areas

  • Aquatic environmental habitat degradation
  • Unmet instream/nonconsumptive flows
  • Impacts to tourism and recreation economies1
  • Impacts by existing and potential additional transmountain and in-basin diversions
  • Salinity issues
  • Increase in energy extraction activities
  • Recreation flows through Glenwood Canyon
  • Address tributary water quality and quantity issues
  • Middle Colorado Watershed Council
  • Tourism and recreation economy1 needs and funding opportunities
  • City of Glenwood Springs RICD application
  • Develop a watershed management assessment and watershed plan
  • Battlement Reservoir #3
  • Water provider conservation projects
Sustain Agriculture

  • Reduced agriculture irrigated acres
  • Existing and potential shortages
  • Use suggestions presented in the Agriculture2,3,4
  • Build reservoirs in tributaries to provide needed late season agricultural water
  • Enhance conservation easement incentives
  • Kendig Reservoir and 1st Enlargement
  • Baldy Reservoir Enlargement
  • Implementation of Farm Bill Incentives through the NRCS
  • Horsethief Canal Improvements
  • Dry Hollow Reservoir and feeder canal
  • West Divide Canal-West Mamm Creek Reservoir
Secure Safe Drinking Water

  • Lack of redundancy in drinking water supplies
  • Increase in energy extraction activities
  • Every water provider should have redundant water supplies. Implementing intakes off of tributaries as well as the mainstem of the Colorado or groundwater supplies
  • Implement groundwater monitoring program in areas of concern
  • Coordinate with the Middle Colorado Watershed Council and stakeholders to develop water master planning/regional treatment efforts
  • CRCA identified project to upgrade diversion structures for water treatment plants in Garfield County
  • Kendig Reservoir and 1st Enlargement
  • Baldy Reservoir Enlargement
  • West Mamm Creek Reservoir
  • Middle Colorado Watershed Assessment/Plan projects to be identified
Develop Local Water Conscious Land Use Strategies

  • Growth development impacting water supplies and environmental needs
  • Increase in energy extraction activities
Smart population growth by:

  • Limiting development to within urban boundaries
  • Promote water conscious growth development through improved land use policies
  • Kendig Reservoir and 1st Enlargement
  • Baldy Reservoir Enlargement
  • West Mamm Creek Reservoir
  • County Land Use Policy Review
  • Water provider conservation projects
Assure Dependable Basin Administration

  • Decreased flows in Colorado River from reduced calls at Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant and senior Grand Valley irrigation diversions (“Cameo Call”)
  • Pursue acquisition or right of first refusal to purchase Xcel owned Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant
  • Maintain maximum Grand Valley irrigation calls
  • Purchase of Xcel owned Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant or other permanent solution to maintain maximum Shoshone flows

(The above information was extracted from the Colorado Basin Implementation Plan and edited slightly to fit)

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