Laserfiche WebLink
<br />a. Economic: The export of water, particularly a large <br />amount used by a primary business such as agriculture in an <br />area-of-origin, can severely reduce business and employment <br />opportunities. Balanced against that must be the gain in <br />such opportunities in the area to which the water is <br />exported. A comprehensive no-injury rule applied to <br />economic considerations could prevent any transfers of water <br />and hinder the economic growth of the state. On the other <br />hand, water transfers are significantly impacting several <br />rural areas of Colorado. <br /> <br />b. social: The closing of local businesses and decrease in <br />local services and credit represent a reallocation,not only <br />of water but also of wealth from the rural to urban <br />communities. Furthermore, the emigration of farmers, <br />business, and professional people weakens leadership and <br />undermines a rural community's capacity to adjust to the <br />economic changes that a transfer of water can induce.' To <br />apply the no injury rule to these impacts would require <br />analysis by a range of social scientists to develop <br />criteria. <br /> <br />c. Environmental: Although a transfer of water can be <br />structured to prevent injury to other water rights holders, <br />it may still change the quantity and/or quality of water <br />flowing in the river. These changes may include a change in <br />the plant and animal life that is, established in the area, <br />making the area uninhabitable to some species. <br /> <br />d. Recreational: Recreational use includes both use of <br />water as instream flow and use of manmade reservoirs. A <br />change in quantity or quality of water may inhibit <br />recreational use of one river, while the transferred water <br />may enhance recreational use of the watercourses through <br />which it is transferred and the reservoirs in which it is <br />stored.' However, this is not always true, since increased <br />flows are sometimes harmful to a fishery. Application of <br />the no injury test to recreational use might require an <br />accompanying test weighing different recreational uses <br />against each other. <br /> <br />..'.~i""QuestJ;ons i,..'.W.l1at:. ,J,ssues: ,can lJe "covereQ... py..,;,;,.., <br />...,:}1:.he(.'!no,.injury"'..., conceptand.what..' cri1:~i@".". .,'. <br />',should,be '" used to judge,,injury?:WhoshouJ;d .,. <br />.develop those criteria?~ataccounting- .......:... <br />stance should be used--shouldthecriteria: <br />be, applied using a stat:e-wide analysis of . <br />the costs and benefits of a particular <br />transfer, or should the analysis only <br />consider the exporting water division and <br /> <br />"::~:~~'<:"';~x>.<: <br /> <br />10 <br />