As the Yampa White Green Basin Roundtable prepares for decreased water availability in the future, it relies on Basin Implementation Plan, (BIP), goals for guidance.

One of its goals is “To develop an integrated system of water use, storage and administration and delivery to reduce water shortages and meet environmental and recreational needs” drives the Roundtable’s support for studies and advancements to help reduce water consumption.

One such study was conducted in the White River Valley by CSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Ryan Bailey. His research aimed to understand how water travels through a flood-irrigated system and how much of it returns to the White River through groundwater.

This first phase of a 2-phase study hopes to provide insights into how changes to irrigation practices might affect water availability for the river, crops, and downstream users.

The White River Valley has historically used 92% flood irrigation for its primary crops of grass and alfalfa. The study found that on average, 25% of the diverted water was used by the flood irrigated crops, while 75% of the remaining water seeped back into the aquifer.

It was found that this groundwater was slowly released and sustained river flows throughout late fall and winter, much to the benefit of the Town of Rangely that lies downstream and benefits from these late season flows.

In the next phase of the study, the model will be used to assess scenarios of irrigation practices, dry weather patterns, and wet weather patterns.

Each basin’s hydrology is unique and may widely vary from basin to basin. This look at how flood irrigation affects the water regime in the White River Valley is the first step to hopefully using this lesson in other river basins.

On the other side of the Basin, on the Bear River the Nickell Ditch diversion upgrade and automation addresses water scarcity differently. The ditch headgate will be automated to allow for remote adjustment in an area that experiences frequent calls on their water rights.

The Nickell diversion will be upgraded from its typical gravel push-up dam, which needs to be built every year adding sediment to the river, to a new diversion structure that will pass water not utilized at the diversion.

This leaves the water in the river for the benefit of fish and the health of the river until it is utilized farther downstream. This project led by Community Agriculture Alliance hopes to demonstrate the benefits of location specific irrigation upgrades and telemetry while still considering leaving unutilized water in the stream or river.

In changing and uncertain climates, the Roundtable relies on science to solve problems that affect all of us in our Basin. To learn more about these projects and what guides the Roundtable visit yampawhitegreen.com.

Sally Cariveau is the Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable’s Public Education, Participation and Outreach Liaison.