Minutes Mar 2007 CBRT

• Basin Roundtable: Colorado
• Title: Minutes
• Date: 3/26/2007
• Basin Roundtables - Doc Type: Minutes

d. Agriculture's 2006 contribution to Colorado's economy is $5.4 billion, of which $4 billion,
or 75%, is from livestock. Crops contribute the remaining $1.4 billion, and irrigated crops
account for about 2/3 of that, or $.9 billion.

e. SWSI estimates that Colorado will lose 14% of its irrigated acres by 2030. The San Luis
Valley will lose 80,000 acres of irrigated agriculture since it is depleting its aquifer. This is
projected to cause counties to lose property tax revenue of $625,000, with another $520,000
lost in state property tax revenues.

f. In the 2002 drought, many ranchers sold their breeding stock and it is very expensive to
replace this stock. The average age of ranchers is 62-65, and it is unlikely that the lost cattle
herds will be replaced. Grand County's cattle have decreased from 20,000 to 5,000 head.

g. The table below indicates that the assessed value of irrigated crop land is 2% or less of the
total assessed property values in selected Western Slope counties:

County Total assessed property Assessed value of Irrigated acreage %
value irrigated acreage of total assessed
value
Mesa $1,257,954,120 6,917,920 .5%
Delta 233,008,320 4,471,502 1.9%
Montrose 397,706,502 8,245,697 2.1%
Pitkin 1,887,535,000 819,945 .04%
Summit 1,263,549,660 - 0%
Grand 571,912,290 - 0%

h. Below is an indication of the water required to grow selected crops:

Crop Inches of water
required annually
Alfalfa 29"
Corn & alfalfa 16"
Wheat, corn, 12"
sunflowers
Dryland wheat 5"

1. One technique to transfer water from agricultural to other uses is to lease water. Cities prefer
to purchase water rights from farmers, and then lease water back on an annual basis to
farmers when the municipalities don't need the water. Cities don't like to lease water from
farmers on an annual basis because they aren't assured the water will be available, and
because each lease must be reviewed by the Water Court, an expensive process. Therefore,
sale-leasebacks are more common.

J. Dr. Pritchett made the following predictions and observations:

1. High value crops like onions, corn, and peaches will stay in production.

11. Agriculture will not dry up in Colorado, but the percent of water used in
agriculture will decrease below 80%. Low value crop production will decrease.

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