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WATER EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTImage: Lori Warren, Black & VeatchLake Mead, seen from the Hoover Dam – low water levels reveal the ‘bathtub ring’Even with this phenomenal water capacity, the Colorado hasbecome strained in recent decades due to the combined effectof overallocation of water and an unprecedented drought thatcontinues today. With climate change threatening to reduce flowseven further, long-term planning is more important than ever.In response, the US Department of the Interior launched severalprogrammes that focus on climate adaptation and long-term planning,programmes that incorporate forward thinking, collaborationand expanded science to elevate water planning and managementto new – and needed – levels.For these programmes to succeed, benefits from previous investments,buy-in from stakeholders and significant groundwork bythe entities involved are all necessary. Although Reclamation operatesmany of the large water storage and conveyance projects in thewestern United States, the water is apportioned at the state level;hence, involvement from those respective state agency representativesis especially critical. Owing to the complexity and size of thebasin, Reclamation has made investments over recent decades inlong-term planning on the Colorado, both in technical tools andstakeholder relationships. They are the essential foundation forcomprehensive management and long-term planning.Approximately 35 years ago, Reclamation began developing acomputer model of the Colorado River basin, the Colorado RiverSimulation System (CRSS), to address the many ‘what if’ questionsarising from proposed development or changes in river operations.For roughly the first 20 years of its existence, the model usedFORTRAN programming language. Over time, it evolved in sizeand complexity, growing to tens of thousands of lines of code and acommensurate associated data.In the mid 1990s, the model was implemented in the RiverWare TMmodelling platform to better accommodate the intricacies of theColorado River system and promote stakeholder access. Developedat the University of Colorado’s Center for Advanced DecisionSupport for Water and Environmental Systems and in conjunctionwith Reclamation, the Tennessee Valley Authority andthe US Army Corps of Engineers, the software employsa ‘click and drag’ graphical user interface that greatlyimproves usability. Moving to an alternative platformwas a sizeable task requiring considerable commitmentto redevelop a model that exactly reproducedthe FORTRAN results. Ultimately, this investment ledto a significant expansion of CRSS use, both withinReclamation and with stakeholders. The new modelalso enables the incorporation of new operationalpolices, increased detail and new model needs, all withrelative ease.Commensurate with the commitment to long-termplanning tools and capabilities is the commitment tostrong relationships within Reclamation and otherfederal agencies, and across the broad range of state,local and non-government stakeholder groups.Acceptance of a common modelling platform andregular discussion has helped foster mutual trust amongthe players involved in managing – and using – theriver’s resources, evident through numerous successfulundertakings in recent decades. These collaborativeefforts have received high praise in the past severalyears, twice culminating in the US Department of theInterior’s Partners in Conservation Award. Given potentialpitfalls, varying objectives and the ever-changingdynamic of the Colorado River basin, maintaining existingpartnerships and cultivating new ones continues tobe a high priority for Reclamation.Under the auspices of the US Department of theInterior’s WaterSMART programme, Reclamation andthe seven US basin states commenced the ColoradoRiver Basin Water Supply and Demand Study in 2010in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders[ 116 ]