Water Use Efficiency Improvements: Solution to CO's Urban Supply Problems

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Context of Growing Front Range Water Use: Ecology and Equity: After a century of agricultural, mining, municipal and other diversions, river systems in Colorado are stretched to the limit. Threatened and endangered species are found on most of our river systems. Increased demand due to population growth is threatening to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, depleting streams and imperiling fish, mammals, birds and invertebrates. Ironically, the health of the state's waterways is a star. attraction for millions who have moved here and for the tourists who visit and pump dollars into our economy. As the state deliberates over water policy options to address the drought and long -term need for water, it is essential that it take into account the impacts of its choices on the ecological health of our rivers and streams. The water conservation and other efficiency., improvements that this paper discusses_ are typically more environmentally sound ways of meeting our urban water needs when compared with conventional structural solutions like new, large dams or new, large diversion facilities. New large dams, wherever located, typically carry with-them a very high cost, controversy, delay, and serious adverse impacts on the environment. The ill -fated proposal for Two Forks Dam, which cost water providers over $40,000,000 to plan and propose before ultimately being vetoed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a clear example of the problems facing new dam proposals. Moreover, in a drought; when existing dams are half -full, there is not much more water to store without wreaking serious damage on the environment. In our view; it is hard at this point to justify use of taxpayer revenues, directly or through extension of bonding authority, on these facilities when there is so much potential to meet our needs with less impact and cost through water use efficiency measures. Some Front Range planners are looking to additional imports of water from the West Slope to solve our water problems .on the Front Range, perhaps financed by the general taxpayer. However, Front Range residents need to know that water arising on the West Slope is already applied to a wide array of beneficial uses. Today's drought makes it hard for the West Slope to meet existing human and environmental needs not to mention those that may develop in the future. In our view there is something wrong with our system of water allocation if it permits growing, wasteful use of water on the Front Range to claim even more water from . western slope watersheds. It is only fair for those of us living on the Front Range to increase the efficiency with which we use existing water supplies before we use the general Colorado taxpayer to finance taking even more water from the state's Western Slope. 7