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<br />CHANGING TIMES
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<br />IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
<br />Colorado Janners Jind thcmsel\'cs (It thc Jonfl'Ont
<br />oj incrcasing competition Jor limitcd waler resollrccs
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<br />B\ CF\\ E .'>[,J1}
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<br />For almost 701'etlrs, cnv<.' .Yo~.) (a/x1oeJ ""gated tnls porT;Of' o(n; (or.... just ....est cTLa0fl"ne w." grth. ld>>/~1er purr.pedfro'" thl' six:fi-s 0(01'1 old
<br />cool fT1'rlf" F,ndln,' ~;"'Sf'I( ,1'1 ....n." rS .')()"... sut)ur!! ....- norti' Del'1'll" ....rtl'! ~df< uitrf'S rT.ee..n" 'EtJ;,,,ement\ t( 'ep,'ace 11, i'Dun J'...., il!" l€flJet,'OfIS. NQneiW
<br />'s X)lmr hard Of hI: )O~'l).n. ~[ t"t> ('(un"
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<br />A.:ross :\merlL;t. .lgnLU!turc IS
<br />changmg In CoILlTad,) lrn-
<br />g,llcd J)!:rH:ulture IS l."hang.mg
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<br />10 partLcu13r
<br />\\ ben \1ur n.1ll\(" gr.l$o;.e~ wert: hr~l
<br />tillt'd to furmw~ ",,-'m~ 145 Y':;lr~ .l~'~.
<br />Colorado fanner~ rriled ~'nurdy on
<br />~urfJ.(c water ((l ITngJIC then nop5
<br />HI~(OnJ.ns. often credl! D.lYld \\"all \\1!h
<br />bemg the ilfSl modem lmgawr .1kmg
<br />the Front Rang.: Arnnng wl.Ih (he ~llld-
<br />hungry ld5gers. w.lll dug a "hon. (rudt>
<br />Imgatlon ditch. planted hi" ~eeds, and
<br />be~an to lmgate ,1 small pl<)! ak.n" Clear
<br />Creek near Gt~lden 1,-' <.ell \'e.t:eIJbJes to
<br />Ihemmer,:.
<br />\\'llht~u! eh:nncny llr m<.xkm well
<br />pump lechnolog'-'. eXIr.ldm~ Iar.o:e qUJnll-
<br />Il\-.,.. ,-.f g,wundwJ!l'r I,) lrng,l!e .l held W,b
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<br />nOI .In ,)pllon \'ulner;tbk to drou~ht.
<br />\-.Jrly !arme!" f'Ku~d on bUild 109 re;.cr-
<br />\'011"5, dlwrsl,m dams. cJnals ;md laterals
<br />to meler ",.-:m:,' n\'er and <'rcck fl,)w,.. t"
<br />th,'1T held,.. ,lnd !t\'c,,!'-'ol,:k
<br />Th,'n 10 Ih... I <},)Qs ncw hlgh-wl-
<br />umt' wcll pumpmg tc(hn<~l,)~' n-'uplt>d
<br />wllh ,;c\"<.'ral \"Cars 01 st'\"CTt' drought
<br />prompted mJny fJ.rmers to dnlt gr,)und-
<br />wala \\dls \'.,'lls wac S('t'n a" pW\"ld1O~
<br />J.ddltl,mal mSllrJn(C a~a1Os1 dry pen<-.d;.
<br />supplcmt>nt1Og and slJblh::mg ollen liddc
<br />lrri~JlklO dln:rSlOm \\"ell dnlhn~ was
<br />partl<.:ularly (,-'mmon m the ~oulh Plane.
<br />Ark.m5.b ,mJ RIO Grande m'er b,lsm"
<br />But lhe~ well" Wl'Tt'lumor to ,.~,:nwr
<br />suria<.:t' w,ltrr n~hh And <:.<.:Icncc showed
<br />th,il pumpmg, ~wundw.l\er c,~uld mler-
<br />,'cpl waler i.:<mncLlcd llr "tnbutary tlllht>
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<br />,.lre.lm - tht' Slmc \\,~tt'r nt'cdt'd tl1 fulfill
<br />~mllT surtllc WJla nghts -." In 19t>Q.
<br />the "t.llc p;ls~ed ,1 Llw rcqulTlng mOlll.lry
<br />well u~r~ tl~ n,'lurn .l (enJm amount (II
<br />watl'T to lh,' ~ystem I,) keep '-t'nior waler
<br />n.l?ht:' whl~k Thb slratq.'y appeared to
<br />Ix lundwmn~ cllrre(lly until the llXll
<br />dwu:;.:hL wht'n .tll,"~ the :,-,'U1h Plane
<br />Rl\"CT \"('ry ;;em,)r ~url.lLe water nghb
<br />wcre shut d<'wn hy nwr (ails. while
<br />JUO!N gwundwaler wl.'ll~ pumped n~hl
<br />next dOl'r
<br />Thls <'omc;o al J lIme when compeu-
<br />t\l.m k'r hmte water ~llpphe" IS ,l?ro\\1n.iZ.
<br />ln~re;1slngly Intense With lhe S!J!c'S ]X'p-
<br />U1Jl1llO pushln~ Sl~me .:. .. mllllCln. grow-
<br />Ing muntor.llme:;. need m,uc watt>r And
<br />(l~nsc!,,\'Jlll'n mCJ~url.'~ or nc\\ rC~T\.olt"
<br />aside lhae.lfe k\\ (heaper rI.1(e~ Ih.m
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<br />COLORADO !'"OUNOAnON !'"OR \;,'ATER EDUCATION
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