Water seminar examines drought, agriculture, Colorado River negotiations and statewide policy

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

Water managers, agricultural producers, elected officials and Colorado River experts will gather in Grand Junction on Sept. 18 to discuss the effects of a major drought year and what could lie ahead for the Colorado River Basin.

The Colorado River District’s 2026 Annual Water Seminar, titled “The River Ahead,” will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Colorado Mesa University. The event is open to the public, with in-person and virtual attendance available.

According to the Colorado River District, the program will focus on drought, interstate negotiations, agricultural water supplies, drinking-water systems and efforts to protect Western Slope water.

The seminar follows the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Aug. 21 adoption of operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028 and a broader 10-year decision-making framework for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

According to the department, the framework allows Colorado River Basin negotiations to continue and provides opportunities to incorporate future agreements among basin states, tribes and other water users into later operating guidelines.

Peter Fleming, general counsel for the Colorado River District, will provide an overview of the post-2026 negotiations and federal decision-making process before moderating a panel on Colorado River operations.

Panelists will include JB Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California and California’s Colorado River commissioner; Navajo Nation General Counsel Bidtah Becker; and Colorado River District General Manager Andy Mueller.

According to the Colorado River District, the panel will examine the priorities and experiences of different Colorado River water users and potential solutions being pursued.

Rebecca Briesmoore, the Colorado River District’s senior water-resources engineer, will provide an overview of this year’s water conditions in a presentation titled “Hydrology in a Flash.”

Colorado State Climatologist Russ Schumacher will follow with a presentation about the unusual 2026 runoff season, places where historical models no longer match current conditions and new forecasting tools being used by water managers, according to the agenda.

Mueller will deliver the seminar’s keynote address on risks facing Western Slope water users, including risks to agriculture, aging water infrastructure, interstate pressure and the need for locally developed solutions.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, are scheduled to participate in a lunchtime discussion about federal agriculture and natural-resource policies.

According to the agenda, their conversation will include work to advance the Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Project and secure federal investment in it. The proposed acquisition of the senior Shoshone water rights is intended to protect Colorado River flows benefiting Western Slope agriculture, communities, recreation and the environment.

The seminar also will feature two candidates for governor.

Independent candidate Greg Lopez is scheduled to speak with River District Chief of Strategy Amy Moyer at 12:50 p.m. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the Democratic nominee for governor, will speak with Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Publisher Jay Seaton at 1:20 p.m., according to the agenda.

State Engineer Jason Ullmann, director of the Colorado Division of Water Resources, will discuss what administering more than 150,000 water rights required of the division during the difficult 2026 water year. He also will outline the agency’s priorities heading into water year 2027.

An agriculture panel will feature Mendi Figueroa, land stewardship liaison for the Community Agriculture Alliance; Luke Gingerich, J-U-B Engineers’ regional lead for surface-water resources; and Reid Fishering, owner of Mountain Quality Farms.

According to the Colorado River District, panelists will discuss limited irrigation supplies, strategic reservoir releases and ways to strengthen agricultural resilience.

The final panel will examine how drought affected municipal-drinking-water providers. Participants will include Andrea Lopez of the Ute Water Conservancy District, Lauren Snyder of the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District and Kremmling Town Manager Jen MacPherson.

Doors open at 8 a.m., and closing remarks are scheduled for 3:15 p.m. A networking event will follow from 3:35 to 5 p.m.

Advance in-person registration costs $35, while students may attend free with a student ID. Walk-in registration costs $45. Virtual registration costs $15 and includes the livestream and a recording of the program.

Registration and the complete agenda are available through the Colorado River District’s website.