Who's who

Overview

The purpose of Who's who is to list organizations that conduct research relevant to the Colorado River Basin, those that provide monitoring and forecasts of the Basin's water and climate, and those that put research and data to use in managing water and other resources, or in collaboration and advocacy. This page is not intended to be all-inclusive but tries to capture most of the important entities in these categories.

Research programs

Below are selected agency and university-based programs that support multiple researchers and have sponsored research relevant to management of water and other resources in the Colorado River Basin. Note that while these programs are responsible for many important studies and reports, much of the published research studies relevant to the basin are carried out by agency, university, and private-sector scientists unaffiliated with these programs; New research highlights the collective output of the broader research community.

Program/Unit	University/Agency	City	State	Description
Center for Colorado River Studies	Utah State U.	Logan	UT	A nexus for innovative research, teaching, and outreach that informs management of the Colorado River and other major rivers of the American Southwest.
Western Water Assessment (WWA)	U. of Colorado Boulder	Boulder	CO	Addresses societal vulnerabilities to climate variability and climate change, particularly those related to water resources, and produces policy-relevant information.
Science and Technology (S&T) Program	Reclamation	Denver	CO	By developing and applying science and technology, advances Reclamation's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources.
Colorado River Basin R2O Program	Reclamation	Boulder	CO	Engages a variety of scientists and government agencies to collaborate on projects that advance Reclamation's use of climate information, hydrology, modeling, and decision science.
Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES)	U. of Colorado Boulder	Boulder	CO	Focuses on tools for modeling of water resource systems (Riverware), improved short- and long-term forecasting under hydrologic variability, operating policy analysis and negotiations, climate change adaptation and hydropower optimization.
NCAR RAL Hydrometeorological Applications Program (HAP)	National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)	Boulder	CO	Conducts collaborative research to improve the fundamental building blocks on which hydrometeorological analyses and climate assessments depend.
Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS)	U. of Arizona (also New Mexico State U.)	Tucson	AZ	Promotes collaborative research involving scientists, decision makers, resource managers and users, educators, and others who need more and better information about climate and its impacts.
Water Resources Program	U. of New Mexico	Albuquerque	AZ	A center of expertise on water-related issues and training for environmental professionals, promoting fair, healthy and sustainable solutions to the challenges of water use in New Mexico and the Southwest.
Colorado Water Center	Colorado State U.	Fort Collins	CO	Leads interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach to address complex and evolving water-related challenges in Colorado and beyond.
Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions (CCASS)	U. of Arizona	Tucson	AZ	Brings together a wealth of expertise at the University of Arizona to support sound management choices in the context of climate change, linking science, information needs of managers, and decision-making.
Water Resources Research Center	U. of Arizona	Tucson	AZ	Tackles key water policy and management issues, empower informed decision-making, and enrich understanding through engagement, education, and applied research.
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center	US Geological Survey	Flagstaff	AZ	Focuses its science efforts on the effects of operations from Glen Canyon Dam on the physical, biological and ecological processes and resources of the Colorado River downstream of the dam.
Western Water Applications Office (WWAO)	NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Pasadena	CA	Works to improve how water is managed in the arid western U.S. by getting NASA science, data and technology into the hands of water managers and decision makers.
Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center	U. of Arizona; US Geological Survey	Tucson	AZ	Provides objective scientific information, tools, and techniques that land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers and other interested parties can apply to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change impacts in the southwestern United States.
North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center	U. of Colorado; US Geological Survey	Boulder	CO	Fosters innovative and applied research in support of tribal, federal, state, and local natural resource management and decision-making, serving Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.
Hutchins Water Center	Colorado Mesa U.	Grand Junction	CO	Performs and facilitates interdisciplinary and collaborative research, education, outreach, and dialogue to address the water issues facing the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Mountain Studies Institute	n/a	Silverton	CO	Develops science that people can use to address environmental issues facing the San Juan Mountains.
Four Corners Water Center	Fort Lewis College	Durango	CO	An interdisciplinary center dedicated to contributing to solutions to our water challenges.
Getches-Wilkinson Center	U. of Colorado Boulder	Boulder	CO	A center of faculty and curriculum addressing environmental, energy, and natural resources law.
Water Utility Climate Alliance	12 member agencies; 5 use Colorado River water	Las Vegas	NV	Leverages collective water utility experiences to develop leading practices in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Water and climate monitoring and forecasting

Unit/Program	University/Agency	City	State	Products/Services
Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC)	NOAA National Weather Service	Salt Lake City	UT	Forecasts and monitoring: Streamflow, seasonal water supply, and floods.
National Water and Climate Center (NWCC)	Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)	Portland	OR	Coordination of Westwide SNOTEL snowpack monitoring; seasonal water supply forecasting.
Arizona Snow Survey	NRCS	Phoenix	AZ	AZ-specific SNOTEL information; water supply reports.
New Mexico Snow Survey	NRCS	Albuquerque	NM	NM-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports.
Utah Snow Survey	NRCS	Salt Lake City	UT	UT-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports.
Colorado Snow Survey	NRCS	Lakewood	CO	CO-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports.
Wyoming Snow Survey	NRCS	Casper	WY	WY-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports.
Intermountain West Regional Drought Early Warning System	NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)	Boulder	CO	Drought monitoring, research support, and coordination.
Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC)	Desert Research Institute	Reno	NV	Climate and drought monitoring data and tools focused on Western U.S.
Colorado Climate Center	Colorado State U.	Fort Collins	CO	Climate and drought monitoring data and tools for CO.
Utah Climate Center	Utah State U.	Logan	UT	Climate and drought monitoring data and tools for UT.
Wyoming State Climate Office (WSCO)	U. of Wyoming	Laramie	WY	Climate and drought monitoring data and tools for WY.
Colorado Dust on Snow Program (CODOS)	Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies	Silverton	CO	Field-based monitoring of dust-on-snow events and impacts in CO.

Tribal nations and water agencies

There are over two dozen federally recognized and sovereign tribes within the Colorado River Basin; the vast majority of them have their lands in the Lower Basin. Below we highlight those tribes that are members of the Ten Tribes Partnership (see also 2018 CRB Ten Tribes Partnership Tribal Water Study) and several other tribes with substantial reserved water rights that have also been active in basin discussions regarding water allocation.

Nation	Agency Website	City	State	Further information
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe	Water Department	Havasu Lake	CA	Ten Tribes Partnership
Colorado River Indian Tribes (Aha Makhav)	Water Resources/Irrigation	Parker	AZ	Ten Tribes Partnership
Cocopah Indian Tribe (Kwapa)		Somerton	AZ	Ten Tribes Partnership
Fort Mohave Indian Tribe (Pipa Aha Macav)	Agriculture, Land, and Water Resources Dept.	Needles	CA	Ten Tribes Partnership
Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe (Kwatsaan)		Winterhaven	CA	Ten Tribes Partnership
Gila River Indian Community	Natural & Cultural Resources	Sacaton	AZ
Jicarilla Apache Nation		Dulce	NM	Ten Tribes Partnership
Navajo Nation	Dept. of Water Resources	Fort Defiance	AZ	Ten Tribes Partnership
Southern Ute Indian Tribe	Water Resources Division	Ignacio	CO	Ten Tribes Partnership
Tohono O'odham Nation	Water Resources	Sells	AZ
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation	Water Resources	Fort Duschene	UT	Ten Tribes Partnership
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (nuchiu)		Tawaoc	CO	Ten Tribes Partnership

Non-tribal water agencies

Below are the key management offices for Reclamation; the state water agencies of the seven basin states; and selected municipal agencies, water districts, and irrigation districts (generally, ones responsible for at least 200,000 acre-feet of consumptive use per year).

Agency	City	State	Description
Reclamation - Upper Colorado River Region	Salt Lake City	UT	Manages over 30 Upper Basin dams, reservoirs, and associated projects, including Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, Navajo, Blue Mesa.
Reclamation - Lower Colorado River Region	Boulder City	NV	Manages Lower Basin reservoirs, including Lake Mead, and water distribution to major users, acting as "water master" for Lower Basin.
Reclamation - Boulder Canyon Operations Office	Boulder City	NV	Office within the Lower Colorado River Region that operates Hoover Dam.
Central Arizona Project (CAP)	Phoenix	AZ	Operates the CAP canal and system, delivering water to the Phoenix valley, Tucson, Tribal nations, and non-tribal agricultural users.
Salt River Project (SRP)	Phoenix	AZ	Delivers water and power to 2 million users in the Phoenix area, using CAP water, local, groundwater, and surface water from the Salt-Verde-Tonto Rivers.
Arizona Dept. of Water Resources (ADWR)	Phoenix	AZ	Protects, enhances, and conserves Arizona's water through 24 programs, including Colorado River Management.
Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District (WMIDD)	Wellton	AZ	Provides water to agricultural users and small municipalities within the Lower Gila Valley; diverts at Imperial Dam.
Yuma County Water Users' Association (YCWUA)	Somerton	AZ	Operates the Yuma Project and provides water to agricultural users in the Yuma area, and to the City of Yuma; holds the oldest rights to Colorado River water in AZ; diverts at Imperial Dam.
Colorado River Board of California (CRB of CA)	Glendale	CA	Protect the interests and rights of the State of California in the water and power resources of the Colorado River system.
California Dept. of Water Resources (CDWR)	Sacramento	CA	Operates the State Water Project (SWP); when SWP allocations are reduced due to drought, a greater onus is put on MWD's and CVWD's Colorado River water.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)	Los Angeles	CA	A cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 19 million people in the greater Los Angeles area; uses Colorado River water via the Colorado River Aqueduct.
San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA)	San Diego	CA	Collective of 24 water agencies in greater San Diego; about half of its water supply comes from the Colorado River via IID and MWD.
Imperial Irrigation District (IID)	Imperial	CA	Operates and maintains Imperial Dam and the All-American Canal; has largest entitlement of any single water user on the river (2.6 maf/yr); provides water to agricultural and municipal users in the Imperial Valley, and also to SDCWA.
Palo Verde Irrigation District (PVID)	Blythe	CA	Holds the oldest water rights (1877) in the Lower Basin; provides water to agricultural users in the Palo Verde Valley and Mesa.
Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD)	Coachella	CA	Provides water to residential and agricultural users in the Coachella Valley; diverts via the All-American Canal and Imperial Dam in conjunction with IID.
Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)	Denver	CO	Works to conserve, develop, protect and manage Colorado's water; provides technical and financial assistance to water agencies throughout the state; lead state agency on Colorado River issues.
Denver Water	Denver	CO	Largest municipal provider in Colorado (1.3 million people); about half of its supply comes from Colorado River headwaters tributaries.
Northern Water	Berthoud	CO	Operates (with Reclamation) the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) project, providing Colorado River water to 1 million people and 600,000 acres of agriculture in northeastern CO.
Colorado River District	Glenwood Springs	CO	Serves water users in 15 western slope counties through legal and legislative advocacy, technical and engineering support, community outreach and education, and water project grant funding.
Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD)	Gunnison	CO	Develops, promotes, and implements water conservation, augmentation, and management strategies to protect water resources in the Upper Gunnison basin for the benefit of its citizens, the economy, and the environment.
Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD)	Durango	CO	Takes a broad strategic role to help water agencies and users across 9 counties protect, conserve, use and develop the water resources in southwestern Colorado.
Colorado River Commission of Nevada (CRC of NV)	Las Vegas	NV	Protects the rights and interests of Nevada’s allocation of Colorado River water; represents the state in local, state and federal water and environmental programs pertaining to the River.
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)	Las Vegas	NV	A consortium of seven water agencies that manages, treats, and delivers Nevada's share of the Colorado River to serve 2.2 million people in the Las Vegas area.
New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC)	Albuquerque	NM	Protects, conserves, and develops New Mexico’s waters, focusing on the eight interstate water compacts for the state's basins, including the Colorado River Compact.
Utah Division of Water Resources (UDWR)	Salt Lake City	UT	Tasked with planning, conserving, developing and protecting Utah’s water resources, serving as the state's water steward.
Colorado River Authority of Utah (CRA of UT)	Salt Lake City	UT	Established in 2021; works to protect, preserve, conserve, and develop Utah’s Colorado River system interests.
Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC)	Salt Lake City	UT	Ensures the appropriate allocation of water from the Colorado River to the Upper Division States of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico; provides technical support to water agencies through studies and reports.
Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD)	Orem	UT	Manages the Central Utah Project (CUP), providing water to 1.5 million people across 8 counties, including the southern Wasatch Front.
Wyoming State Engineer's Office (WY SEO)	Cheyenne	WY	Regulates and administers the water resources in Wyoming; safeguards the State’s current and future water supplies by preserving the ability to use and develop water allocations under interstate compacts and court decrees.

Other management units and programs

Name of Unit/Program	Agency	City	State	Description
Lower Colorado River Multi-species Conservation Program	Reclamation	Boulder City	NV	Works toward the recovery of 27 species listed under the Endangered Species Act, and 5 evaluation species; manages 18 conservation areas along the lower Colorado River.
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Lakewood	CO	Works to conserve four endangered and threatened native fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum	Basin states	Farmington	UT	Coordinate salinity control efforts among the basin states and with federal agencies, disseminate information, and otherwise promote efforts to reduce the salt loading to the Colorado River.
International Boundary and Water Commission - U.S. Section	n/a	El Paso	TX	Provides binational solutions to issues that arise during the application of United States - Mexico treaties regarding boundary demarcation, national ownership of waters, sanitation, water quality, and flood control in the border region.
Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)	U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE)	Lakewood	CO	Markets and transmits wholesale electricity from federal multi-use water projects over a 15-state region of the central and western U.S., including Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon Dam and other CRSP dams, Central Arizona Project, and Parker and Davis Dams.
Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP)	Reclamation	Salt Lake City	UT	Promotes cooperative integration of dam operations, downstream resource protection and management, and monitoring and research to improve the values for which the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park were established.

Other water organizations

Organization	City	State	Description
Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA)	Las Vegas	NV	Over 1000 members across the basin; provides a forum for exchanging ideas and perspectives on Colorado River use and management with the intent of developing and advocating common objectives, initiatives and solutions.
Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA)	Phoenix	AZ	Represents 10 large municipalities in Phoenix Valley; works to protect its members' water supplies by ensuring laws and regulations support water resources sustainability enabling continued prosperity in the desert.
Western States Water Council	Salt Lake City	UT	Represents 18 Western states via the Western Governors' Association; ensures that the West has an adequate, secure and sustainable supply of water of suitable quality to meet its diverse economic and environmental needs now and in the future.

Water- and environment-focused NGOs

Organization	Program (if applicable)	City	State	Description
Pronatura Noroeste		Ensenada	Baja California, Mex	Promotes the conservation of the flora, fauna and priority ecosystems of northwest Mexico.
The Nature Conservancy	Colorado River Program	Boulder	CO	Builds relationships with farmers, ranchers, municipalities, states, Tribal Nations and other partners, and develops strategies that reduce pressure on existing water supplies and increase the landscape’s resilience.
Lincoln Institute for Land Policy	Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy	Phoenix	AZ	Advances the integration of land and water management to meet the current and future water needs in the Colorado River Basin.
Walton Family Foundation		Bentonville	AR	One of the foundation's core values is to protect rivers and the communities they support.
U. of Montana	Water & Tribes Initiative - Colorado River Basin	Missoula	MT	Enhance tribal capacity and advances sustainable water management in the basin through collaborative decision-making.
Western Resource Advocates	Protecting the Colorado River	Boulder	CO	Identifies common-sense steps that will keep the Colorado River flowing and improve climate resilience to better manage future water shortages.
American Rivers	Southwest Region	Denver	CO	Advocates for rivers through community-based programs, collaborative strategies to support agriculture and municipalities, and legislative means.
Aspen Global Change Institute		Basalt	CO	Collaborates with researchers and communities across the western U.S. to advance understanding of the impacts of aridification, and enhance the accessibility of science that supports water-related decision making.
Sonoran Institute	Colorado River Delta Program	Tucson	AZ	Works with its partners in the Colorado River Delta to renew, restore, and reconnect its diverse ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife and people.
Living Rivers		Moab	UT	By articulating conservation and alternative management strategies to the public, seeks to revive the natural habitat and spirit of rivers on the Colorado Plateau.
Audubon	Western Water Initiative	Boulder	CO	Aligns bird habitat protection and restoration with more reliable water supplies for communities.
Pacific Institute		Oakland	CA	Creates and advances solutions to the world's most pressing water challenges.
Glen Canyon Institute		Salt Lake City	UT	Campaigns to protect and restore Glen Canyon, and reverse the decline of Grand Canyon’s fragile ecosystem.