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<br /> <br />Section 2 <br />Statewide Demographic, Economic, <br />and Social Setting <br /> <br />As the state's population continues to grow, additional <br />demands will be placed upon Colorado's water supplies. <br />To characterize recent trends and existing conditions, <br />this section presents an overview of the state's current <br />and projected population and other key demographic <br />factors. <br /> <br />Each of these components has an important role in <br />determining current and future water use patterns in the <br />state. Section 3 explores some of these parameters on a <br />more detailed basis for the Colorado Basin. <br /> <br />2.1 Colorado's Historical and <br /> <br />Projected Demographics <br /> <br />2.1.1 Population <br /> <br />The State of Colorado, the 24th most populous state in <br />the United States according to the 2000 Census, was the <br />third fastest growing state in the nation in the 1990s, <br />surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona. Population <br />increases have a significant impact on water planning <br />and management strategies. Accurate population <br />estimates are critical in understanding future water <br />demands and therefore affect the decisions involved in <br />meeting those demands. <br /> <br />Population projections were obtained from the Colorado <br />Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Colorado <br />Demography Office. The DOLA dataset includes county <br />population projections from 2000 to 2030 in annual <br />increments. <br /> <br />Table 2-1 Population Projections by Basin <br /> <br />Basin <br /> <br />2000 <br /> <br />I Arkansas <br /> <br />Some counties in Colorado cross major river basin <br />boundaries, which required their populations to be <br />appropriately allocated among basins. Given the <br />reallocation of population for the multi-basin counties, the <br />total population per basin was determined. The <br />population projections for years 2000 and 2030, percent <br />change over 30 years, and the annual growth rates are <br />shown in Table 2-1 for each basin. <br /> <br />Colorado's population is expected to increase by <br />65 percent from over 4.3 million people to approximately <br />7.1 million people between 2000 and 2030. Of the <br />approximate 2.8 million population increase projected <br />over this time frame, slightly more than 1.5 million or <br />54 percent is due to net migration into the state. The <br />remainder is a function of birth rates that are <br />substantially higher than the number of deaths projected <br />for each year (DOLA 2003). <br /> <br />The populations in the West Slope basins of the <br />Colorado, Dolores/San Juan/San Miguel, and Gunnison <br />Rivers are projected to nearly double over the next <br />30 years. The populations in the Arkansas, Rio Grande, <br />South Platte, and Yampa/White/Green Basins will <br />increase between 35 percent and 65 percent. The North <br />Platte Basin is projected to have the lowest growth rate <br />over the 30-year planning period. <br /> <br />2030 <br /> <br />Increase in <br />Population <br /> <br />Percent Change <br />2000 to 2030 <br /> <br />Percent Annual <br />Growth Rate <br /> <br />Dolores/San Juan/ San Miguel <br />Gunnison <br />North Platte <br />Rio Grande <br />South Platte <br />Yampa/White/Green <br />TOTAL <br /> <br />Source: Colorado DOLA Demography Section <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br />2.1 <br />2.0 <br />0.7 <br />1.0 <br />1.7 <br />1.5 <br />1.7 <br /> <br />Colorado <br /> <br />S:\1177\BASIN REPORTS\COLORADO\S2_COLORADO.DOC <br /> <br />55 <br />.~ <br />89 <br />82 <br />25 <br />35 <br />65 <br />56 <br />65 <br /> <br />a <br />DEPAIUMENT OF <br />NATURAL <br />RESOURCES <br /> <br />CDIVI <br /> <br />. i~"" l.~v.~(~& <br /> <br />~.. ~~, <br />-q <br /> <br /> <br />· (~,'r .. <br /> <br />2-1 <br />