IBCC Representative Comments

• Title: IBCC Representative Comments on Visioning
• Date: 3/6/2008
• Interbasin CC - Doc Type: Correspondence/Memos

Colorado Basin
Stan Cazier
Status Quo
• I guess what we will see in 50 years is the dry-up of agriculture on both the East
Slope and the West Slope as well as further marginalization of streamflows on the
West Slope and loss of tourism and attractiveness of the Colorado mountains.
Unchecked, there will be continued sprawling growth on the Front Range and
possibly increased growth on the West Slope, particularly in Grand Junction related
to energy development.
Alternative
• I believe the Colorado that I would like to see and knowing that you can't turn back
the clock, is to maintain at least the balance that we presently have between
maintenance of agricultural, municipal growth, tourism, and other industries such as
logging, manufacturing, and mining. While you can't stop growth even if you would
like to, it is important to minimize impacts on attractiveness of Colorado including
agriculture, which provides open space to everyone as well as the attractiveness of
the state, much of which is derived from the mountains and streams.
• This was an interesting discussion at the Colorado River Roundtable, but most of
the ideas were very similar including:
- The necessity to look very closely into the available water supply, particularly
from the Colorado River Basin under the Compact. This will dictate what can
happen.
- Whatever we do, the necessity to preserve the values that have historically been
provided by agriculture and maintaining as much agricultural vitality as possible.
- Colorado will have to start looking at disincentives to unchecked water use. It
took a long time to realize the importance of water conservation, but the
definition of water conservation is still somewhat limited among a number of
water purveyors. Ultimately, if we continue along the same path, the State of
Colorado will have to adopt a policy similar to Nevada's restrictions on future
development involving grass and buyback as well as some of the pricing policies
adopted in areas such as Santa Fe, New Mexico that penalizes any use above a
certain level as well as dual tap fees based upon inhouse use and outside
irrigation. A number of the present and future restrictions such as the
Endangered Species Acts, issues arising out of EISs, compacts and just adverse
impacts from development are items that in the future can't be solved by
unlimited purse strings. While future water projects certainly may be in the mix, in
the words of Glenn Saunders, they must be projects that are acceptable to the
beneficiaries but also to those that are impacted.
• Other comments that were passed on to me from the Roundtable that are worth
mentioning about what is going to happen in 50 years include:
26
I:\INTERBASIN COMPACT COMMITTEEWISIONS FOR COLORADO WATER SUPPLY FUTURE\RESPONSES TO VISIONING AND MARCH MEETING\IBCC REPRESENTATIVE COMMENTS.DOC