Moving Forward Effort

Colorado River Basin Stakeholders Moving Forward to Address Challenges Identified in the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study

Phase 1

Environmental and Recreational Flows Workgroup

The Colorado River Basin Study recognized that future efforts should strive to better understand and quantify the needs of flow-dependent ecological systems and river recreation, better reflect those needs in a modeling framework, and further explore solutions that promote the protection and improvement of environmental and recreational flows. The Workgroup’s primary Phase 1 objective was to build on the Colorado River Basin Study’s assessment of environmental and recreational flows to identify ideas for potential future voluntary, non-regulatory solutions that protect or improve ecological and recreational resources while supporting other management goals to achieve integrated solutions that benefit multiple uses, both consumptive and non-consumptive, including hydropower.

Chapter 5 of the Phase 1 Report is a product of the Workgroup and documents the Workgroup’s Phase 1 activities.

This Workgroup is led by three Co-Chairs:

  • Alan Butler – Bureau of Reclamation
  • Ted Kowalski – Colorado Water Conservation Board
  • Taylor Hawes – The Nature Conservancy


For additional information or questions, contact:

e-mail: ColoradoRiverBasinStudy@usbr.gov
phone: 702-293-8500
fax: 702-293-8042

Last Updated: 12/10/18