The South Platte Basin Roundtable covers approximately 22,000 square miles in northeast Colorado. The largest cities in the roundtable area are Boulder, Fort Collins, Longmont and Greeley. The projected population in 2050 is estimated to almost double in size to between 1.9 and 2.6 million people.
Nearly two-thirds of the increase in the state gross municipal and industrial (M&I) demand by 2030 – or approximately 324,000 acre feet (AF) to 467,000 AF with passive conservation included – will be in the overall South Platte Basin (a combination of the South Platte Basin Roundtable and the
Metro Roundtable areas).
To learn more about the South Platte Basin, see the
Basin Fact Sheet.
South Platte Basin Roundtable (BRT) Priorities
- Address potential impacts of agricultural transfers and finding alternatives to permanent agricultural dry-up
- Address agricultural supply shortages for both surface and groundwater users
- Identify opportunities to optimize existing and future water supply infrastructure
- Successfully implement endangered species program to protect existing and future in-basin uses
- Develop new water storage facilities
- Ensure adequate water for future needs
- M&I
- Agricultural
- Environmental
- Recreational
South Platte BRT Activities and Accomplishments
The South Platte Basin has completed its basin-wide water needs assessments for consumptive and nonconsumptive water supply needs and has analyzed the basin’s water supply availability. The basin consumptive needs assessment is divided into three separate parts:
- Part One adopted the findings of SWSI Phase I.
- Part Two examined five key areas: competition for the same water supply, identification of any unappropriated water, current and historical river administration, increasing use of consumable effluent and water conservation plans by M&I providers.
- Part Three updated the M&I water demands and projected forecast out to the year 2050, projected agricultural demands and recalculated the water supply gap for the basin.
The basin also has completed the Phase 1 of its nonconsumptive needs and is currently underway on the statewide effort with the Phase II of the nonconsumptive needs assessment.
The South Platte Roundtable also has held two significant public outreach meetings within the last year to policy makers, county commissioners and citizens so that they can understand water issues important to the South Platte Basin.
South Platte Basin's Major Projects and Programs
- Northern Integrated Supply Project
- Windy Gap
- Halligan-Seaman
| Meetings |
Monthly, on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, usually in Longmont at the Southwest Weld County Building. |
| Leadership |
- Chair: Garret Varra
- Vice-Chairs: Sean Conway and John Stokes
- IBCC Representatives: Sean Cronin and Jim Yahn
- Recorder: Matt Betz
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| Subcommittees |
- Groundwater
- Nonconsumptive Needs Assessment
- Phreatophyte
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| Roundtable Governance |
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