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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Section 7 Issues Affecting Water Use and Development Afactor which is seen as a threat to one agency may he perceived as an opportunity to anotha The 1996 Colorado Water Needs Survey requested information on threats to existing water supplies and opportunities for devel- oping new supplies, This section lists commonly reported threats and opportunities. Appendix A provides more detail on the ac- tual responses received in these areas from survey respondents, Potential threats to existing water supplies as noted on the sur- veys include the following factors, · Unpredictability of weather-related events and catastrophic events (t100ds, droughts, tornados) which could adversely impact water supply sources, treatment and delivery systems, and wastewater treatment systems, · Additional federal environmental regulations (Endangered Species Act, etc.) which could increase instream flow require- ments, limit diversions, control reservoir operation, etc, · Additional federal and state water quality regulations which could render some existing sources of supply unusable for some purposes and increase water treatment costs, · Disadvantageous changes to current State water law, or Fed- eral regulations/actions, · Degradation of water sources, for example due to contami- nation from fertilizers, pesticides or other pollutant sources, · Drawdown of aquifers and depletion of existing groundwa- ter sources. . Reduction of return flows resulting from conversion of irri- gation use to domestic municipal use, . Unquantified federal reserved water rights limiting the amount of water available, . Lack of storage space. . Increasing restrictions on water use due to the Colorado-Kan- sas water agreements and other compact requirements. . Over-appropriated water rights belonging to individuals, mutual ditch companies, irrigation districts, municipalities and water conservancy districts, · Exportation of water from the Western Slope to the Front Range of Colorado and New Mexico. · Uncertainty regarding physical consequences and legal im- plications of increased use of groundwater in conjunctive use operations. . Over-utilization of existing sources by larger Front Range communities, . Unsustainable growth, . Lack of source protection programs and previous environ- mental misuses of land and water, 7-1 __ cOloraoo ,._ Farm Bureau