HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 05/21/2024 - Memorandum from Jason Graham re Spring 2024 Water Shortage Response PlanningUtilities
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-212-2900
utilities@fcgov.com
CC: Jill Oropeza, Senior Director of Planning and Science
Jen Dial, Water Resources Manager
Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Manager
Michael Neale, Water Resources Engineer
Eric Potyondy, Assistant City Attorney
Water Commission
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 15, 2024
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
From: Jason Graham, Director of Water Utilities
Subject: Spring 2024 Water Shortage Response Planning
BOTTOM LINE
Following the process outlined in the Water Shortage Action Plan, which includes careful staff
analysis and recommendation, City Manager Kelly DiMartino determines whether water use
restrictions are necessary to manage water supply. This year, Fort Collins Utilities staff
anticipate that projected supply is adequate to meet projected demand through fall 2024. City
Manager DiMartino signed the attached memorandum solidifying that no water use restrictions
are expected.
Attachment
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Utilities
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-212-2900
utilities@fcgov.com
CC: Gretchen Stanford, Utilities Deputy Director, Customer Connections
Jill Oropeza, Senior Director of Planning and Science
Jen Dial, Water Resources Manager
Jeremy Woolf, Senior Director of Water Operations
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 3, 2024
To: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Through: Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
From: Jason Graham, Director of Water Utilities
Mariel Miller, Water Conservation Manager
Michael Neale, Water Resources Engineer
Subject: Spring 2024 Water Shortage Response Planning
BOTTOM LINE
Staff from the Water Shortage Action Committee (staff committee created from the Water
Shortage Action Plan) met on April 18, 2024 to evaluate water shortage indicators. Staff
anticipate that projected supply is adequate to meet projected demand through fall 2024.
Therefore, the Director of Water Utilities is recommending to the City Manager that no voluntary
Water Shortage Watch or mandatory Action Level I restrictions are necessary at this time. Staff
will continue monitoring supply and demand conditions throughout the year.
CURRENT STATUS
Based on current information, supply and demand projections (see Figure 1) indicate there is a
low likelihood of a water shortage in 2024. Even under a high-demand scenario, combined with
a 90% of average intake from the Cache la Poudre River through the water year (ending Oct.
31), we expect to carry over0F1 the full amount allowed by our Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT)
supplies into 2025. Additionally, no water quality concerns or infrastructure maintenance
1 Northern Water allows C-BT account entities to carry over 20% of their quota allocation into the next year if the
amount was unused.
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projects are expected to have a long-term or significant impact on supply, treatment, or
distribution in 2024.
Projected demands are based on a 10-year historical average, daily and monthly distribution,
and the current year’s population estimate. A low-demand scenario is average demand reduced
by 10%. A high-demand scenario accounts for the highest demands seen in the last 10 years
for each remaining month.
Supply inputs include:
• Poudre River supply: 6,800 acre-feet (AF) based on 90% of 10-year average intake.
• Horsetooth Reservoir supplies:
o C-BT quota: 70% with 7,500 AF remaining.
o C-BT carryover: 2,970 AF from 2023, after 10% shrink and approximately 800 AF
of obligations met with carryover capacity.
o Windy Gap supply: Additional 1,750 AF expected in June.
Figure 1: 2024 Projected Supply & Demand (April 24 – Oct. 31, 2024)
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• North Poudre Irrigation Company (NPIC) multiple use C-BT shares: 2.5 AF/share
allocation resulting in 8,900 AF of C-BT. Utilities will rent 7,000 AF of this supply to NPIC
system shareholders for agricultural use.
• Maximum C-BT carryover objective of 4,190 AF expected to be met. After 10% shrink
levied by Northern Water and approximately 800 AF of obligations, 2,900 AF can
become available for use in 2025.
The water shortage indicators’ status is summarized at fcgov.com/utilities/water-availability-
demand and are as follows:
• C-BT quota is 70%, as announced by the Northern Water Board of Directors on April 11.
• C-BT system reserves are healthy at 101% of equivalent quota and continue to rise with
this year’s snowmelt. Joe Wright Reservoir storage is at capacity.
• Snowpack as of April 24, 2024:
o Colorado River Headwater Basins: 91% of median.
o Cache la Poudre Basin: 90% of median.
• As of April 24, 2024, Larimer County has no indicators of drought according to the U.S.
Drought Monitor. The three-month climate outlook for our area predicts equal chances of
either above- or below-normal temperatures and leaning toward above-normal
precipitation.
• Post-fire impacts from the Cameron Peak Fire may continue to affect Poudre River water
quality in 2024. The severity of impacts has lessened in recent years and staff anticipate
this trend will continue in 2024.
o The Poudre River source water quality surveillance system is on-line and actively
monitoring water quality in the river upstream of the City’s Poudre River intake.
This real-time monitoring system allows treatment operations ample time to
respond to changes in source water quality.
NEXT STEPS
As always, staff will continue to monitor water shortage indicators, including Poudre River water
quality and multi-state and federal negotiations related to the ongoing Colorado River shortage.
If indicators worsen and the potential for a shortage increases, staff from the Water Shortage
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Action Committee will reevaluate the need for a water shortage response – a voluntary Water
Shortage Watch or Action Level I-IV restrictions. Additionally, staff will continue promoting
existing water conservation programs, the importance of maintaining water conservation habits
even in normal years, and the influence of both regional and local climate, regulatory, and
political factors on our water supply.
RESOURCES
A comprehensive list of voluntary water-saving actions and frequently asked questions is at
fcgov.com/water-restrictions. Staff and the public can stay updated on the status of our water
quality and supply at fcgov.com/utilities/water-status. During a declared water shortage, an
internal communication tool, such as a SharePoint site, would be updated and include more
internal information.
DocuSign Envelope ID: D5912CE3-8FBA-420E-994C-9F2AEFBD66F4DocuSign Envelope ID: 3E125201-CCC5-4997-8B74-1EE987AC0F31