Colorado State Water Plan 1974 ‎(Phase II)‎

• Year: 1974
• Title: Colorado State Water Plan
• CWCB Section: Agency-wide
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

PART I--INTRODUCTION
Water has played a vital role in the economic development and growth of
Colorado since the advent of the first settlers. The distribution of surface water
supplies throughout the State is influenced by climatic conditions which are affected
by differences in elevation and by the orientation of mountain ranges and valleys
with respect to general air movements. Annual precipitation varies from about
8 inches in some of the more arid parts of the State to as much as 50 inches in
the higher mountain ranges. Runoff and streamflows resulting from these widely
different conditions necessarily vary widely also. Many of the water problems
of the State are directly related to the disparities in the occurrence of water supply
and water requirements, both in time and place.
Water problems in Colorado are greatly compounded by the fact that
population distribution bears no relationship to the State's available surface water
supply. For instance, more than 65 percent of the total State population resides
within the South Platte River Basin which produces only about 9 percent of the
State's average annual surface water supplies. Conversely, the Colorado River
Basin contains about 9 percent of the population, but produces almost 70 percent
of the State's average annual surface water supplies.
Much progress has been made since the turn of the century in the development
of Colorado's water resources by private and local interests, as well as by State
and Federal agencies. However, many early water resource projects were
designed to meet only localized and existing water demands, and were not
considered from a statewide point of view.
Colorado's population increased 25, 8 percent in the 1960's, growing from
1,753,947 to 2,207,259. Recent projections made by the Division of Planning,
State of Colorado, indicate a State population of about 3,800,000 by the year 2000.
Associated with recent population growth and distribution has been an
expanding requirement for more effective statewide planning and control of water
and land resources development and utilization. In addition, there has been
increasing pressure to allocate more water for other purposes such as the
preservation and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources, recreation, and
water quality control. These and other existing problems as well as pending
water problems must be faced now. Moreover, their timely solution demands
that new and imaginative approaches must be taken, and that development,
control, and management of the State's water and related land resources must
proceed under an orderly and well-conceived comprehensive plan which will be
consistent with long range statewide goals.
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