December 4-6, 2024
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
December 4
Upper Colorado River Commission
Colorado River Board of California
Welcome | VIDEO ⟶
Tribal Prayer: Crystalyne Curley
Speaker
25th Navajo Nation Council
Conference Kickoff: A Walk in the Park – From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Emerald Mile, Kevin Fedarko, comes the dramatic and moving firsthand account of walking the Grand Canyon with best friend Pete McBride. In A Walk in The Park, Fedarko recounts the epic misadventure of two friends with zero preparation and a shared dream: a 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of America’s most magnificent national park and the grandest wilderness on earth. | VIDEO ⟶
- Kevin Fedarko, Author
Working Outside the Edge Pieces: Extreme Weather Events and What We Can Do About Them – Hydroclimatic variability and climate change in the Colorado River Basin have exhibited increasing temperatures and decreasing snowpack and streamflow. Recent precipitation levels, trends in snowmelt and runoff timing have shown wider variability compared to historic patterns. This changing reality demands continuing progress in hydroclimate modeling and its incorporation into planning and management to keep pace with the ongoing changes and adequately prepare for future conditions. The panelists will speak about their work to improve the characterization and modeling of hydroclimatic conditions for the future and the need for developing better prediction tools. | VIDEO ⟶
- Moderator: Jeff Deems, Co-founder, Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc.
- Karletta Chief, Director, Indigenous Resilience Center, University of Arizona
- Balaji Rajagopalan, Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder
- Julie Vano, Research Director, Aspen Global Change Institute
- Enrique Vivoni, Director, Center for Hydrologic Innovations, Arizona State University
Keeping the Peace Among the Pieces: The Risks of Litigation – Join us for an enlightening session featuring legal experts who specialize in Colorado River water law. Our panelists will share critical insights, discuss lessons learned from historical cases, explore the complexities of appealing water-related cases to the highest court, and highlight the economic, social, and environmental risks associated with prolonged legal battles. | VIDEO ⟶
- Michael Connor, Former Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works and Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior
- Jeffrey Kightlinger, Consultant , Acequia Consulting, LLC
- Jeffrey Wechsler, Managing Partner, Santa Fe Office, Spencer Fane
December 5
Welcome – CRWUA President Gene Shawcroft will provide a brief overview of the day’s sessions, followed by an update on Post-2026 Operations by Carly Jerla from the Bureau of Reclamation.
- Gene Shawcroft, CRWUA President, Central Utah Water Conservancy District
Lower Basin Principals Panel – In this panel, the Governor’s Representatives from the Lower Basin will share their perspectives on managing this vital waterway. From water allocation challenges to environmental conservation efforts, the panelists will delve into the complexities of sustaining the Colorado River system. Learn about collaborative strategies, policy considerations, and innovative solutions that impact millions of lives across the region. | VIDEO ⟶ | PDF ⟶
- Moderator: Jennifer Gimbel, Senior Water Policy Scholar, Colorado State University | PDF ⟶
- Tom Buschatzke, Arizona
- John J. Entsminger, Nevada
- JB Hamby, California
Upper Basin Principals Panel – In this panel, the Upper Basin Commissioners will share their perspectives on managing this vital waterway. From water allocation challenges to environmental conservation efforts, the panelists will delve into the complexities of sustaining the Colorado River system. Learn about collaborative strategies, policy considerations, and innovative solutions that impact millions of lives across the region. | VIDEO ⟶
- Moderator: Jennifer Gimbel, Senior Water Policy Scholar, Colorado State University
- Brandon Gebhart, Wyoming
- Estevan López, New Mexico
- Becky Mitchell, Colorado
The Agricultural Pieces – This session will delve into various efforts within the basin to achieve greater resilience for agricultural producers through exploration of alternative forages, improvements in, and application of technology, and enhancedsystem sustainability. Attendees will gain valuable insights from experts and stakeholders, exploring both challenges and opportunities for sustainable water management in agriculture.
- Moderator: Peter Nelson, Director, Coachella Valley Water District Board of Directors
- Paul Bruchez, Reeder Creek Ranch | PDF ⟶
- Joel Kimmelshue, Owner, Principal Agricultural Scientist, Land IQ | PDF ⟶
- Bart Leeflang, Assistant General Manager, Central Utah Water Conservancy District | PDF ⟶
- Nisha Noroian, Trustee, Palo Verde Irrigation District | PDF ⟶
- Mark Smith, Director General, International Water Management Institute | PDF ⟶
The Municipal Pieces: Planning for Uncertainty – An insightful session dedicated to exploring the critical issues surrounding the Colorado River’s water supplies and demands. This session will feature expert presentations and discussions on the current state of the river, the challenges of balancing water resources, and innovative solutions for sustainable water management.
- Moderator: Terry Goddard, Board President, Central Arizona Water Conservation District
- Bill Hasencamp, Manager of Colorado River Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California | PDF ⟶
- John Kmiec, Director, Tucson Water | PDF ⟶
- Rick Marsicek, Chief Water Resource Strategy Officer, Denver Water | PDF ⟶
- Hannah Riseley-White, Director, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission | PDF ⟶
- Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Principal Hydrologist, Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources | PDF ⟶
The Environmental Pieces – Redefining the framework for Colorado River operations provides an opportunity to re-evaluate traditional management approaches in light of scientific advancements, changing hydrological patterns, and the need for sustainability. Panelists will discuss some of the environmental proposals that have been submitted to Reclamation as well as other alternatives being evaluated by Reclamation for the development of the post-2026 operations with an eye to answering questions like:
- How do these proposals and alternatives consider the environment and safeguard the health of natural systems?
- How do these proposals and alternatives fit within the guidelines or how are they part of parallel actions?
- What should the NEPA analysis include to ensure impacts to environmental resources are properly considered in the evaluation of the various alternatives?
- Moderator: Taylor Hawes, Colorado River Program Director, The Nature Conservancy | PDF ⟶
- John Berggren, Regional Policy Manager, Healthy Rivers, Western Resource Advocates | PDF ⟶
- Fay Hartman, Conservation Director, Southwest Regional Program, American Rivers | PDF ⟶
- Eric Kuhn, Retired Water Manager and Author | PDF ⟶
- Jennifer Pitt, Colorado River Program Director National Audubon Society, Director, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
- Deborah Williams, Colorado River Special Assistant, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | PDF ⟶
- Moderator: Hannah Holm, Associate Director for Policy, Southwest Region, American Rivers
- Chuck Cullom, Executive Director, Upper Colorado River Commission | PDF ⟶
- Dan Denham, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority | PDF ⟶
- Jenny Dumas, Legal Counsel, Jicarilla Apache Nation | PDF ⟶
- Colby Pellegrino, Deputy General Manager, Resources Southern Nevada Water Authority | PDF ⟶
December 6
Business Meeting | VIDEO ⟶
- Michael Brain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, U.S. Department of the Interior
- Moderator: Heather Tanana, Visiting Professor of Law, UC Irvine School of Law
- Manuel Heart, Chairman, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
- Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community
- Moderator: Sally Spener, Secretary, U.S. Section, International Boundary & Water Commission | PDF ⟶
- Maria-Elena Giner, United States Commissioner, International Boundary & Water Commission
- Adriana Reséndez Maldonado, Mexico Commissioner, International Boundary & Water Commission
- David Palumbo, Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Bureau of Reclamation
- Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation