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<br />
<br />Analyses and Recommendations
<br />1. \'('ater I}olicy and Growth
<br />
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<br />
<br />\'CUn !<Carclt~.- (rdarin' [0 demand) is f~ality in
<br />much 101 Ih~ \'\'C~I, hut rl'S(.'p.-uir M"m/-:~. lransb.ISIn
<br />di\'l'r~lll/ls. J.:round "'-Atl'r d('n']opm~nt, W.ill'r nghl
<br />Ir,ms(crs, CUOSl'rV;I[Jon. and tJlhl'r ml'aSUf~S hall' al-
<br />lowed /-:rowTh '0 fOlllinul", /lowcn'r, In some ;l1l'as
<br />(or Ihe first timc k1;al ,ulll phpicallimils :Ill' appl'aring
<br />un the pbonmg horizon, In Ihe future, Wl' may nOI hc..
<br />'Ihk to ~USLun unhmi!l'J j..'fllwth And sull nuintalfl our
<br />CUffi'llIYU.ltlfY ,,( lile, l1Jflicuh polmcal ChOl("l'S will oc
<br />nl'cc~sary rcganlin/-: future economic .lOJ cnnton-
<br />mCIlLd Ust.s of W,lIl'f and fhe hnf way to ennlUragl'
<br />fhe ..rdnly ff;lIl,irion to a new Cl.J.uilihnum, Among
<br />othl'f things, the~ new tl.':thtil'S reyuire :In l'\aluarion
<br />of Ihl~ rd.l1lonshlP t)(;lwecn wall'r policies all,1 /-:tllwlh.
<br />
<br />\\ hill' ~rowth m;{n;I....~'m'.flI I't"mJJns pnnunl) a
<br />l"cII prcfoK<Il1\'l', Statl's are ir'lCrca.'ilngly' excrClslIlg thl'lr
<br />influl'ocl'. SI;lleS hall' thl' pnrnaf) re~I)(,"~ihilIlY fOf
<br />warl"f atlfICatioll ,mJ nUnagt'O'Iefl!, Tlwy han' jurisdic-
<br />tion 10 sanction holh new ;ll'prupri,l1lons and fr,msfers
<br />of e~i,ting U'\CS. 'l1l1:Y ah" han' the pnman tl'sJ'l,"si.
<br />11IlifY for proll'clin~ waler yu.llu}, and the pl\Ula] fok
<br />10 the Iflll'gr"lifln of W';l1l'r yu,lOm}" a1locauon ,Illd '01,,;1.
<br />la yu,lIil~- proleclion. .\s a rl'SlIIt, Sl;ltes can I'l.ty a
<br />enlle;).] f"ll' rd;lung 10 ~rIlwth 10 thl' \Vesl wh..-re WAll'r
<br />I~ a !<Carn: fe~ourn' ;mtl cOlllpe:tin.l: ekmand~ \"ie (or
<br />n~hl~ 10 Il~ u~e. In other word~, Ihe Implrt'Jll"n~ o(
<br />Sf.Hn' dn'i~i,,", in Ihis afl'lla h;l\"e Jif,'n Imptll";)'lioll~
<br />f"r ~rlJwlh,
<br />
<br />h is ClIl\'iflu~ thaI ch;ln....-iIlK dl'lT1'~f"Olrhlo :md \-a1
<br />Ul'S pLlred on \",m"u~ W;ller u"t"s I~ If'LflsformmJ.: the
<br />
<br />fUlure ot waler manOlJ.:l'lTll'm. \'C,.stern slates ;lTC e:\.-
<br />pl'rienci"ft; IJrge p"pulJti, ,n pcrn.nta....'C chllll/o\e~. "c.
<br />curdin~ tu thl' 2000 Census BuTC,lU ~IOlllSlifs, popuLt-
<br />li'm W'JU'th \";lrit'd si~niti('amly hy Tlf.:i"n In the JlJ9lls.
<br />with the hight'sl rail'S in Ihe West (19,7 1"ll'IO:III), The
<br />\X'est mcre3"l'el hy to.4 ImJllon 10 r(';Kh 6.12 milium
<br />peopl,'. l\ccau~c of tliffert'nn's rn Jl;fl,wlh rate~, the
<br />regional sh;lres of lhe: 101'11 J'l.puLmon han- shilll.tl
<br />el)n~idt'rahly Ifl recem dec:1lle~. Bl'tween 1950 iill'!
<br />2IHMl. the pcrceOl,l.l:C of till' :-":alll>l1'S J'l.puJ.lfi"n II\-ll\~
<br />In Iht. \X'cst locrl";l'\C,1 frrlftl I.Ll tf. 225 pl'TCt'Ol. .\h.fe
<br />recent~. from 2u14 t" 2005. fi\'e of Iht' "!x fa'le~t
<br />~ro\\l~ ~UteS lIe'fl': Ari"una (35%); :\:l'\'ad" (.1.5%,);
<br />Id;lho (2.4%); t'uh (l,W'a) .lod Tex,,~ (1.7%). (1r!l(Cf
<br />WC~ll'm SI.ltes ;Ire n"t far IIl'hrnd Ii Co]"rado (1.4%),
<br />Ure/-:,.n (1.4%). Nt''\\" ~kMC" (13"';,) and \'\'ashHl!l;I"n
<br />(1..1%). ;s.:otahty, m;lfly of th,'se ~1;lIl'S ,Ifl' :ds<, fhl' dri
<br />nl stales 10 the ~;ltlr,n!
<br />
<br />\\"atef conllnut'~ 10 11\0\e from !;\fO'lS to t'lIic~. u11h
<br />c:\.IIl"t:lcd ;lml Sl'flIc:tirn,'s unc':\.jll'cted n:~uhs, '111t' "',
<br />cia!, IT'J!lomlC an,ll'O\'irunlTlefll"] fl'sulrs JIt' imJ'l'rt,lI1t
<br />.rnd S< 'mctinlC~ Jre nOI well undc'rsl.."d. 'n-md p:rny
<br />;lIltl (.Ihl'f direC{ Imp,lfl~ "fw:ltl"1 tr"n'ti:t~, W:IIl'f c,m
<br />St'TyaU"n, dechmn!l; t\!f;J l'("IltlOl1lll'S I>,,',:cl on irrl~a
<br />tioll. dWlfl,lJin.l' surfACe Jnd .':"rnurlil W;l!l'f stJl'phc's .m,!
<br />olht'r walet U"l' related ChJnJ.:l's, ,IS well ,IS jo:rowlIlJ.;
<br />Instream Wall'r denun,ls ("r eO\'in>l1lllc,nt:t1 ;lI1C! r,'ne..
<br />uon,11 Ulol'S. ,Ire all fl'clctinlll).: Ollr CIU;llrl~ of life; in the
<br />\X'c'st, Further, ;IS l1lUIllClp,r1 ,lIId ,"dustnal walCf uS(,'
<br />IIlcn:..~e r..J.\ti\e I.. "Icier ;l/..'rieuhur;r1 U"'S, lhl' ,It-mJncl
<br />IloCnl/Ill's mOft' in..J:I~IIf. ..\ !aflllc'f em f"I).''' .. crop
<br />yeaf when \I"llc'r supplies ;lfC li~ht; ;1 munlcip"ll,l,:uef
<br />
<br />"'n the future. we may not he ahle to sustain unlimited
<br />growth and still maintain our current quality of life, Dillieult
<br />political choices will be necessary regarding tllturc economic
<br />and en\'ironmentaluses of water and the hest way to encour-
<br />age the orderly transition to a new equilibrium,"
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