S6_11-15-04

• Basin: Statewide
• Title: SWSI Phase 1 Report - Section 6 Water Needs Assessment
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Final Report

Section 6
Water Needs Assessment
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Figure 6-2 indicates the implications of uncertainty in the
Identified Projects and Processes. To any extent that the
Identified Projects and Processes fail to be fully
implemented, demand and competition for Colorado's
water resources will be further increased and the need to
implement alternative solutions will be evident.
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Uncertainty in Identified Projects & Processes
Figure 6-2
Implications of Uncertainty in Identified Projects and
Processes on Meeting 2030 M&I and SS/ Water Needs
Any yield that would otherwise have come from Identified
Projects and Processes for M&I use might likely instead
be satisfied with additional permanent agricultural
transfers. History has shown that M&I providers will
indeed find a way to meet their customers' needs, and
agricultural water is the most readily-available source for
meeting those needs. As discussed earlier, agricultural
transfer will still require storage and infrastructure to
move water from its source to treatment facilities and
distribution systems.
Thus, it is possible that a failure to implement the
Identified Projects and Processes would result in even
greater impacts to irrigated agriculture and the
economies dependent thereon. A range of potential
changes to irrigated acres was shown in Figure 5-5. The
lower end of the range reflects the assumption that all
Identified Projects and Processes, including additional
conservation, are successfully implemented. As noted,
not all of the reduction in irrigated acreage would be
available for transfer to meet M&I needs. To illustrate the
possible impacts of the uncertainty of the successful
implementation of Identified Projects and Processes,
Figure 6-3 shows the additional acres of irrigated farm
land that might be put out of irrigated production if 25 to
50 percent of the Identified Projects and Processes were
not successfully implemented. Agricultural transfers,
however, are also not without risk and uncertainty due to
the water court process, volume of storage required, and
local and federal permits needed for construction of
necessary facilities.
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Uncertainty in Identified Projects & Processes
Figure 6-3
Potential Impact on Irrigated Agricultural Acres if
Identified Projects & Processes are Not Implemented
Funding and permitting remain the primary challenges in
implementing water management solutions in Colorado.
Major implementation issues associated with water use
in Colorado are discussed in Section 11 of this report.
6.3 Identified Projects and
Processes
The catalog of Identified Projects and Processes was
summarized by subbasin or county and is presented in
this section. Table 6-2 provides a summary of each
basin's increased M&I and SSI demands, the amount of
that increase provided by the Identified Projects and
Processes, and the general locations of the gap.
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S:\REPORIIWORD PROCESSING\REPORllS6 11-8-04.DOC
6-9
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