NWCOG Tourism Project Applic - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

, . . , NWCCOG WATER EFFICIENCY PLANNING MODEL I. project Goal To create a planning tool for water providers in resort communities to encourage leadership in the wise and efficient use of the region's water resources. II. Project Description The project has several related components. The first involves developing a better understanding of water use patterns in the residential and commercial sectors of resort communities. Similar housing and lodging units, with and without efficient water fixtures, would be compared. A survey would be utilized in combination with the actual monitoring to better assess water use habits of the sampled population. This information would be put in spreadsheet format. The spreadsheet would include certain service area specific information (similar to the WaterPlan model), conservation measure financial data, and information on alternate water efficiency devices. A simple user manual would be developed to explain the use and interpretation of the spreadsheet. Finally, the package would be disseminated to water utility managers to assist in evaluating options for water demand management planning. ; ;.- -! .... ,,;.- . , .)I>! ,. {I ~ - /1.;" "1 ... I ,..... r . p" I. ,/'~ .I -'I ~' 11_;'.11 '.,//1'''- ,,: ,,/, V .... 10,(1' ,;t-I .", J lJ..J.V" ,J" , W~. ;)) , III. Need for project Resort communities in the headwater counties often find themselves in the unique situation of promoting competing uses for their water resources. For example, resort areas are building more lodging units to attract skiers in the winter months. These units require more water for domestic use. Simultaneously, however, the ski areas are using snow making as a means to attract more skiers. Both uses put greater demands on stream flows which are typically at their critical low flow during ski season. Often this problem is compounded because much of the virgin stream flows are diverted to the front range. Optimizing the multiple uses of our water resources is critical. Using water more efficiently in the headwater counties is one effective means of accomplishing this. Local water providers need to provide dependable supplies of domestic water. However, existing water 5.'''; ". /:':~a.l7 I J...., ,,~l planning tools do not apply to these resort areas. -;, / Populations may fluctuate by more than ten fold in the winter months. This fluctuation is a result of short term, seasonal workers and a huge tourist population. These individuals are on vacation, not in their own communities, and so often abandon conscientious water use habits. In addition, because of our location, lawn irrigation is not as predominate because the growing season is shorter and