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Breakout Discussion #2: <br />What will be the most difficult (top 5) and important challenges climate change will <br />pose for Colorado in the future? <br />Joe Barsugli's Group <br />➢ Loss of biodiversity, specifically aquatic due to runoff timing, warming <br />temperatures <br />➢ Agriculture and demand of agriculture water: pressure from other sectors on <br />agriculture water <br />➢ Broader water use implications: where is municipal and industrial (M &I) going to <br />get water from? Agriculture? Conservation? <br />➢ Energy sector impacts: oil shale and solar development and the resulting water <br />implications <br />➢ Instream flow versus human needs: How is this going to play out? <br />➢ Trans -basin diversions: decreased water supply leading to conflict over instream <br />flows <br />Imtiaz Rangwala's Group <br />➢ Future of ski industry: No longer economically viable? <br />➢ What will happen to large population centers surrounding these dry /hot areas? <br />How will this manifest? Will more people moving to the mountains as a result of <br />warming temperatures? <br />➢ Agriculture: larger growing season but increased pressure on water availability <br />➢ Changing regimes for agriculture and ranching practices <br />➢ Energy production: hydrologic fracturing, coal fire plants -what is the future of <br />these industries? <br />➢ Colorado River Compact: will there be a call due to increased pressure on water <br />supplies? <br />➢ Migration of tropical diseases and species such as African bees <br />➢ Public health /tourism issue from fire /smoke <br />Koren Nydick's Group <br />1. Pressure for water availability causing pressure to develop more reservoir <br />storage <br />Increased pressure for trans -basin diversion <br />Less usable storage tied to earlier timing of snowmelt <br />Impacts on ecology: potential for die -offs, landscape change <br />2. Fire, longer fire season, die -offs? <br />Fire mitigation costs: air quality, tourism <br />3. Agriculture: the issue of feeding ourselves and the economy <br />Possible effect on the fruit industry in southwest CO <br />Shorter time span for growing irrigated crops tied to earlier snowmelt <br />4. Public health impacts: heat stress <br />