September 2006 – Workshop on Water Supply Reliability and Climate in the Lower Colorado River Basin

This workshop will include presentations and discussions between water managers and users in Arizona and a team of researchers from the University of Arizona. We have been working for the past two years on ways to incorporate climate information into the management of the Lower Colorado River Basin. This study builds from questions provided to us by water management stakeholders in the fall of 2004, including ADWR, CAP, SRP, AMWUA, and SAWUA as well as Reclamation. In addition to presentations and results, the workshop will provide a forum for input to define the next phase of research to meet the needs of water managers and Reclamation (this study is being expanded to a second two-year period). The project is focused on ensuring that research results can be transferred to the context of shortage planning and the mitigation of water supply impacts associated with climatic variability and drought. Phase 2 of the project is in partnership with Arizona State University in the context of the Arizona Water Institute.

Predictive Capacity

Enhancing Water Supply Reliability; Kathy Jacobs

Updated streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin; Dave Meko/Scott St. George

Climate-based streamflow forecasting in Riverware: The Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Method in RiverWare; Bart Nijssen/Laura Lindenmayer

Decision Support

Economic Arrangements to Enhance Dry Year Supply Reliability in the Lower Colorado River Basin; Bonnie Colby/Katie Pittenger

Decision Making under Uncertainty: Shortage, Stakeholders, and Modeling in the Lower Colorado River Basin Kathy Jacobs/Dustin Garrick

Climate, hydrology and water resources management of large river basins Peter Troch