Water Supply Reserve Account Criteria and Guidelines - Adopted

Home Browse Search

SWSI Major Findings 1. Significant increases in Colorado's population-together with agricultural water needs and an increased focus on recreation and environmental uses will intensify competition for water. 2. Projects and water management processes that local municipal and industrial (M&I) providers are implementing or planning to implement have the ability to meet about 80 percent of Colorado's M&I water needs through 2030. 3. To the extent that these identified M&I projects are not successfully implemented, Colorado will see a significantly greater reduction in irrigated agricultural lands as M&I water providers seek additional permanent transfers of agricultural water rights to provide for the demands that would otherwise have been met by specific projects and processes. 4. Supplies are not necessarily where demands are; localized shortages exist, especially in headwater areas, and compact entitlements in some basins are not fully utilized. 5. Increased reliance on nonrenewable, nontributary groundwater for permanent water supply brings serious reliable and sustainability concerns in some areas, particularly along the Front Range. 6. In-basin solutions can help resolve the remaining 20 percent gap between M&I water supply and demand, but there will be tradeoffs and impacts on other users-especially agriculture and the environment. 7 . Water conservation (beyond Level 1) will be relied upon as a maj or tool for meeting future M&I demands, but conservation alone cannot meet all of Colorado's future M&I needs. Significant water conservation has already occurred in many areas. 8. Environmental and recreational uses of water are expected to increase with population growth. These uses help support Colorado's tourism industry, provide recreational and environmental benefits for our citizens, and are an important industry in many parts of the state. Without a mechanism to fund environmental and recreational enhancement beyond the project mitigation measures required by law, conflicts among M&I, agriculture, recreational, and environmental users could intensify. 9. The ability of smaller, rural water providers and agricultural water users to adequately address their existing and future water needs is significantly affected by their financial abilities. 10. While SWSI evaluated water needs and solutions through 2030, very few M&I providers have identified supplies beyond 2030. Beyond 2030, growing demands may require more aggressive solutions. Water Supply Reserve Account Criteria and Guidelines - Adopted: October 18, 2006 2 of 16