WSP11430

• File Number: 8449
• Description: Platte River Projects
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 5/1/1975
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Needs Identification and Supplement to the Plan of Study, Water and Related Land Resources Management Study
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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generally be the consequence of more intensive agricultural
practices.

The question can be raised as to ~hether the present standards

would hold much actual authority during an energy crisis or a

sustained economic catastrophe. Industrialists ~ould be hard

pressed in both cases to either use the fuel involved to process

waste, or to come up ~ith the capital to invest in ne~ facilities

or maintain already constructed ones. The politics of setting

and enforcing ~ater quality standards might s~ing in their favor.

On the other hand, under the conditions of a steady-state

economy, ~here environmental concerns are paramount in the minds

of basin residents, water quality would be a major planning issue

and one ~hich ~ould receive considerable attention in local as

~ell as State politics. Thus, planning should be concerned ~ith

the consequences of active citizen participation in a controlled

growth scenario, and gro~ing avareness of the benefits of limited

growth. This, ho~ever, would be planning to implement increases

in the quality standards.

PLANNING NEEDS

Planning needs for water quality in the South Platte River

basin cannot be lumped into one simple, comprehensive program. The

reasons for this are twofold. First, many of the needs have been

adequately covered in recently completed or ongoing ~ater quality

planning activities. Second, the diverse nature of the topography,

land uses, population distribution, economic activities, water uses,

and institutional-political structure ~ould make any attempt to

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