WSP08930

• File Number: 8407
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 5/1/1991
• Author: NCWCD
• Title: Draft Report - Regional Water Supply Study - Part I - Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

CONCLUSIONS

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The following are the primary conclusions reached during the two-year term
of the Regional Water Supply Study:

(I)

The population along the Northern Colorado Front Range
Region north of the Denver Metropolitan Area is expected to
grow to about 950,000, an increase of 70 percent, between
the year 1990 and the year 2020. Correspondingly, annual
water supply requirements are projected to increase by
about 115,000 ac-ft.

Along the northern edge of the Denver Metropolitan Area,
the population is expected to be about 1.2 million by the
year 2020, which is nearly a 75 percent increase above the
1990 population. Annual water supply requirements are
projected to increase by about 130,000 ac-ft for this
portion of the Denver Metropolitan Area.

Most of the M&I water providers throughout the study area
will need to develop additional water supplies over the
next 30 years. Without additional supplies or regional
integration of available supplies, shortages during a year
of moderate-level drought are expected to total 51,000
ac-ft, 16,000 ac-ft, and 124,000 ac-ft in Study Areas 1, 2,
and 3, respectively, by the year 2020.

Regional integration of available water supplies in Study
Areas 1 and 2 could significantly reduce projected
shortages without additional water supplies. With complete
regional integration, additional water supplies would net
be needed until about the year 2015, except for severe
droughts. Without additional supplies, shortages during
a moderate-level drought in the year 2020 potentially could
be reduced to 16,000 ac-ft and 9,000 ac-ft for Study Areas
1 and 2, respectively. Regional integration of available
supplies would not significantly reduce projected shortages
for all of the water providers in Study Area 3.

There are a number of potentially effective and institu-
tionally feasible alternatives for increasing the use
efficiency of existing M&I water supplies and providing for
some increased level of regional integration of available
supplies. Most of these alternatives involve increasing
water supply conveyance capabilities. However, providing
future water treatment capacity additions on a regional
basis could also be of benefit primarily because of
potential cost savings through economies of scale.

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

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