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• The West Slope will have gone through or still be in an energy boom. Tlus booming <br />energy industry will stretch between Moffat and Montezuma County and will further <br />intensify competition for Colorado's limited water supplies. <br />• The San Luis Valley and North Park will see additional reductions in irrigated <br />agriculture. In the San Luis Valley, some of our state's most productive agricultural land <br />will betaken out of production as the communities strive to sustainably use their aquifers <br />while meeting our compact obligations. In North Parlc, reductions in agriculture will <br />likely be due to general pressures on the agriculture industry. <br />As people describe this status quo scenario 50 years from now, many do not thii~l{ this is the <br />Colorado they would like to see. Most people I tallc to lalow that we must provide a safe and <br />reliable water supply for our urban communities. They would also like to see continued <br />agricultural production on the Eastern Plains and in the San Luis Valley; they would like to see <br />less urban sprawl along the Front-Range; they would like to see viable and sustainable rural <br />communities whether they are based on recreation, energy, or agriculture; they would like to see <br />less pressure on the headwaters so the state's enviroiul7ental and recreational amenities can be <br />sustained; and they want a healthy and sustainable economy. <br />Questions for IBCC Members <br />As we wrestle with Colorado's water supply future we should give some careful thought to <br />different visions of Colorado 50 years from now. I would like for each of you as IBCC members <br />to take time between now and our March meeting to explore the following questions: <br />1. What will the different regions of Colorado look like in 50 years if we let our current <br />approach to water supply play out i.e. a status quo scenario with no fundamental change <br />in water policy? <br />2. Is this the Colorado you would like to see? <br />3. If not, what would your Colorado look like? <br />4. If your Colorado looks different than the status quo scenario, then how and when should <br />we investigate water supply alternatives that would lead to the Colorado you would like <br />to see? <br />Thii~l{ about these questions with your "statewide hat" on, but also give attention to your region <br />of Colorado. Use this as an opportunity to examine our state's water supply future in a broader <br />context, not ili project specific terms. Although we may eventually want to examine specific <br />projects, I see this visioiung exercise as a necessary prelude. I also hope that you will use this as <br />an opportunty to draw on information emerging from the basin-wide water needs assessments <br />and thii~lc about how we can integrate solutions to meet our consumptive and non-consumptive <br />water needs. Finally, you should consider what else needs to happen in Colorado to result in a <br />future you would like to see. <br />At the March IBCC meeting, I would like an open discussion on your vision of Colorado's <br />future. Please come to the meeting prepared to articulate your answers to the questions and <br />discuss them as a group. If the IBCC decides to develop water supply alternatives (question #4) <br />I would like your ideas on next steps. I will be prepared to discuss one method for moving <br />forward, but I hope you will have some additional ideas. <br />2 <br />