ABSTRACT:

This HYDROSHARE link contains the data used for the research entitled: "Integrated Water Management Under Different Water Rights Institutions and Population Patterns: Methodology and Application". In this article, we develop a methodology to evaluate how population location under alternative water institutions and climate scenarios impacts water demands, shortages, and derived economic values. We apply this methodology to the South Platte River Basin (SPRB) in Northeastern Colorado under three scenarios with ~1,800 simulations. Results suggest that while water rights institutions have a negligible impact on total volumetric shortages relative to climate change, they have substantial distributional and economic implications. Results also suggest that continuous population growth in upstream cities yields the lowest water shortages if per capita use decreases with urbanization. However, if we assume that per capita demands do not decrease with population density, an equal distribution of population to upstream and downstream regions yields the lowest water shortage and highest economic value. These findings indicate the need that planning efforts must account for return flows and development patterns throughout a watershed in order to reduce water shortages and promote economic prosperity. Questions should be directed to "ahmed.gharib24@alumni.colostate.edu".

ABSTRACT:

This study seeks to promote sustainable management of the two largest reservoirs in the Colorado River basin, Lakes Powell and Mead, by accounting for evaporation losses in Lower Basin deliveries. Although evaporation losses are currently ~7% of the total basin demands, they are currently unaccounted for in basin deliveries. This project assigns evaporation loss responsibility to water users when Mead’s pool elevation is ≤ 1090 ft by proportionally decreasing their allotment based on yearly evaporation totals and the user’s current delivery schedule. To achieve this, a new delivery rule is created in the Colorado River Simulation System (CRSS), as modeled in RiverWare. To determine the efficacy of evaporation loss inclusion as a solution to declining reservoir levels, a performance metric is defined, and reservoir elevation levels are compared between CRSS simulations with and without evaporation loss inclusion.