Enduring Solutions on the Colorado River Part II Floating Pools and Grand Bargains Kathryn Sorensen & Sarah Porter, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University; Eric Kuhn; Cynthia Campbell, Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, GF Global Institute of Sustainability & Innovation, Arizona State University April 18, 2025
“For an entire region of America, this great river, therefore, is the lifeline of survival, the lifeline of growth, of prosperity and of hope.” Lyndon B. Johnson
Conserving water now in reservoir savings banks, as a hedge against future risks associated with drought and declining flows, has emerged as one of the central tools for managing the Colorado River. The Lower Basin "Intentionally Created Surplus" program, created in the 2007 Interim Guidelines, has shown the idea's promise and given the basin nearly two decades to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. With tweaks to allow similar efforts in the Upper Basin and other modifications based on what we have learned about the current ICS approach, such