So_Platte_SWSI_Update_7%2019%2004

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CDIVI COLORADO I~J ~~ NATURAL RESOURCES Update on Statewide Water Supply Initiative - South Platte Basin Statewide Water Supply Initiative Background The Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) has identified how much water Colorado will need to help meet the needs of its growing population. By 2030, Colorado will have an additional 2.8 million residents and a total population of 7.1 million people. Most of the state's population (87 percent) will be along the Front Range from Pueblo to Weld County. However, the fastest growing areas will actually be on the West Slope in the Colorado and San Juan/Dolores/San Miguel Basins Table 1 summarizes the population changes by river basin. Table 1 Population Projections by Basin I I I I Percent I Percent Increase in Change 2000 Annual Basin 2000 2030 Population to 2030 Growth Rate Arkansas 835,100 1,293,000 457,900 55 1.5 Colorado 248,000 492,600 244,600 99 2.3 San Juan/Dolores/San Miguel 90,900 171,600 80,700 89 2.1 Gunnison 88,600 161,500 72,900 82 2.0 North Platte 1,600 2,000 400 25 0.7 Rio Grande 46,400 62,700 16,300 35 1.0 South Platte 2,985,600 4,911,600 1,926,000 65 1.7 Yam pa/Wh ite/G reen 39,300 61 ,400 22,1 00 56 1.5 TOTAL 4,335,500 7,156,400 2,820,900 65 1.7 Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs Demography Section SWSI is an 18-month study by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to take a comprehensive look at how Colorado will meet its future water needs. During the 1990s, Colorado was the third fastest growing state in the nation, surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona. The recent drought also highlights the importance of understanding how Colorado will manage water during times of increased scarcity. SWSI's approach to this problem is to both develop technical data and work with local interests and water experts to obtain consensus on the issues, identify where data are missing, and to understand the obstacles to meeting our water supply needs. Working with Basin Technical Roundtables consisting of multiple interests (water providers, local governments, agricultural users, recreational interests, the environmental community, and the business sector interests) from Colorado's eight major river basins (Figure 1), SWSI is a "bottoms-up" process to make sure local expertise and knowledge is incorporated into the study findings. These roundtables have identified water supply needs ranging from ensuring that municipal and agricultural users have a safe and reliable water supply, to providing water for recreation and the environment-important drivers for our economy. SWSI Update - South Platte Basin