Laserfiche WebLink
Section 1 <br />Purpose <br />Agricultural irrigation is widely recognized as one of the most significant uses of <br />water in Colorado. Statewide about 80 to 85 percent of our annual water use is <br />attributable to agricultural production. This has lead to a public perception t11at <br />implementation of agricultural water efficiency/conservation nleasures can easily <br />provide additional water supplies to nleet growing denlands for urban, industrial, <br />recreation, and environnlental water needs in Colorado. The reality is that <br />opportunities for produculg significant ainounts of transferable water for municipal <br />and uldustrial (M&I) uses through agricultural water conservation measures are <br />linuted by certaul physical, legal and econonlic <br />factors. It is iinportant to recognize that <br />agricultural water conservation may ulcrease <br />ab icultural producer exposure to risks such as <br />irrigation system failure or drought. In addition, <br />water conservation nleasures often result in <br />increased equipment, labor, and management <br />costs that must be borne either by the irrigator or <br />by tllose who benefit fronl tlle conserved water. <br />Increased and enhanced use of irrigation water <br />conservation measures nlay be beneficial in <br />certain areas of Colorado if fl1e basin scale impacts <br />are evaluated as part of the adoption process. <br />Increased agricultural water coilservation could <br />potentially result in a voluntary reduction u1 the <br />diversion of water to the farm, creating benefits <br />cii~h ac in~r~rnvPr~ ~nTa+Pr nyiali+v alln~nTiiicr ~nTa+Pr +n <br />remain in the streains, and reducing energy costs for puinping, but nlay not result in <br />water that can be legally transferred to other uses. If t11e use of water conservation <br />measures can improve water supply availability witllout causing injury to <br />downstreanl users or the environnlent, then t11e result nlay be increased water <br />supplies for agriculture and ofller uses. <br />This docunlent exanlules the opportwlities and challenges associated with <br />inlplenlentulg water conservation nleasures as a source of future water supply. This <br />report is intended as a guide to evaluate the role agricultural water conservation <br />measures may play in addressing Colorado's future water supply needs. While there <br />are limitations associated with developulg sib ificant amounts of transferal~le water <br />for new uses fronl agricultural conservation, tllere are also some opportunities that <br />can and should be explored. There are also select opporttuzities to implenlent <br />local/site specific agricultural inlprovenlents that can reduce costs and provide <br />environnlental or ecological benefits. These topics and others are discussed in greater <br />detail below. <br />DRAFT 1-1 <br />