At Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (FCLWD), water resource planning is a year-round effort. Each spring, we assess our water supply for the year ahead—considering snowpack levels, storage capacity and the annual Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) quota set by Northern Water. This process ensures that we have the resources to provide safe, reliable water while also planning for potential drought conditions. In this blog post, we’ll explain the C-BT quota, why this number is so crucial to FCLWD, how we use this information to plan ahead and what drought planning looks like in our District.
TLDR Summary:
- The Northern Water Board of Directors sets the C-BT quota, and the quota impacts how much water FCLWD has for our customers. This year’s quota was recently set at 70%.
- FCLWD relies on our partnership with Soldier Canyon Water Treatment Authority (SCWTA) to help project what the C-BT quota will mean for our District and water use throughout the summer. Since most of our water portfolio comes from C-BT units, the quota impacts us significantly.
- We use data from historic droughts to predict how a drought would impact our current water supply and water usage. Individual impact on demand should not be overlooked, as experienced in Timnath last summer.
The C-BT Quota: How It’s Set and What It Means for Water Supply
This month, the Northern Water Board of Directors announced that the annual C-BT quota has been set at 70%, which aligns with the long-term historical average. For FCLWD, this means we have a sufficient water supply to meet customer demand while maintaining reserves for the future. Learn more about the C-BT project and how the project routes water from the western slope to the Front Range in our recent blog post about the Colorado River.
The C-BT quota isn’t an arbitrary amount. Instead, it is a carefully considered number reached after C-BT water users have a chance to weigh in and the Northern Water internal team has made their recommendation based on reservoir storage and C-BT system operations. Here is how the process goes:
- In the early part of the year, the water industry watches snowpack to predict the upcoming year’s water supply.
- Northern Water hosts a Spring Water Symposium at the beginning of April, and allottees (C-BT unit owners) have the opportunity to provide input on what they think the quota should be. This year, the symposium was held on April 8.
- After the Symposium, the Northern Water Board takes a few days before setting the final C-BT quota for the remainder of the year. For additional context, the water year starts November 1 with an initial allocation, typically .5 or 50%, increases with the April quota that carries through the following October 31. This year the final quota was set on April 10.
The quota is determined based on several factors, including snowpack levels, reservoir storage throughout the entire C-BT storage system and projected water demand. Interestingly, the quota operates on an inverse relationship—when drought conditions are severe, Northern Water may issue a higher quota to supplement limited natural supplies. Conversely, in years with substantial snowpack and healthy storage levels, the quota may be set lower to ensure the system’s long-term sustainability. The long-term average C-BT quota from 1957 to 2024 is 0.7.
How FCWLD Uses This Information to Plan
Once the C-BT quota is set, our team immediately begins working with our shared water treatment plant, Soldier Canyon Water Treatment Authority (SCWTA), to forecast how this allocation will support customer demand throughout the year. We had the chance to speak with Richard Raines, the Water Resource Manager at SCWTA, and ask him to describe this process. Richard’s role at the authority includes ensuring that each of the three water districts and eight wholesale accounts the authority serves have adequate water diverted into the treatment plant and accounting for that water. He shared,
“After we know the official C-BT quota, I begin to put together a projection for the remainder of the year. By April, we have five months of indoor water use data from the current water year, which helps us project what the remaining months will look like. I also connect with each water district to learn of any new demand coming online in the upcoming months and take that into account, along with the allocation from the North Poudre Irrigation Company. Then, I share the projections with FCLWD so they can plan for the rest of the year.”
FCLWD uses this data-driven approach to make informed decisions about water conservation, potential water rentals or excess water and future supply strategies. While FCLWD is working hard to diversify our water portfolio, C-BT water makes up most of our water supply. Therefore, the C-BT quota impacts our water supply significantly. If we predict that demand will be higher than usual, we may encourage conservation efforts ranging from light options such as odd and even watering days to more severe options like watering restrictions.
What Drought Planning Looks Like
While 70% is a manageable quota, long-term drought conditions could require additional conservation measures. If the quota drops below 70%, we have a drought and water supply plan to guide potential water use adjustments. This plan, most recently updated in 2023, analyzes historic droughts dating back to 1957 and models how similar conditions could impact today’s demand. Colorado has experienced several significant drought years since the turn of the century, including 2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020. Thankfully, however, we have not experienced multiple years of drought in a row since 2000 to 2003. If that were to occur, we’d rely upon the research and conclusions from our drought and water supply plan.
Individual conservation efforts should not be overlooked when considering drought and supply planning. In past years, voluntary conservation efforts have made a significant difference. For example, in Timnath last summer, voluntary water restrictions helped balance demand with available supply when a combination of offline equipment and high demand led to low water pressure. Our customers in Timnath were incredibly cooperative, which greatly helped us get ahead of the infrastructure issues we encountered, proving that proactive efforts can help ensure that our community can weather dry periods without the need for drastic restrictions.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the warmer months, FCLWD will continue to monitor conditions and work with local and regional partners to manage our shared water resources effectively. We encourage our customers to stay informed about conservation efforts and adopt water-wise habits to help sustain our water supply for future generations.
For more details on our drought response plan and water conservation programs, explore our website or contact our team at (970) 226-3104. Together, we can ensure a resilient and reliable water future.
