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<br />TRENDS: THE GROW~NG OEBA~E <br /> <br />Why do water transfers appear to be more controversial today <br />than in the past? Changing uses, evolving values, increasing <br />needs for water, and limits in the amount of water available are <br />all combining to put considerable stress on our current water <br />management institutions as they attempt to meet the competing <br />demands for water in this last decade of the 20th century. <br /> <br />CHANGING USES <br /> <br />Historically, Coloradoans have used water for mining, <br />agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities. Added to <br />this list today are increasing recreational demands, new <br />environmental priorities, and aesthetics. In many cases, these <br />new uses are being debated and regulated nationally by Congress <br />and'not locally by the Colorado legislature or local governments. <br /> <br />EVOLVING VALUES <br /> <br />For many, agriculture is an inextricable part of the <br />heritage of the West and of Colorado., Many Coloradoans feel a <br />strong attachment to that heritage, whether or not they ever <br />lived on a farm or ranch. Locally grown produce and open <br />stretches along the highway recede as Colorado's urban areas <br />grow, but both are treasured by urban and rural dwellers alike. <br />A fear of losing the "greenbelt," of which agriculture is a part, <br />is another issue that may not be measured in any cost benefit <br />analysis of water transfers but is an issue policy makers cannot <br />ignore. As a result, market-based tendencies to transfer <br />irrigation water to "higher value" municipal uses generates <br />considerable political concern. <br /> <br />In addition, the option of moving to a small town or city, <br />many of which are sustained by agriculture, is also a part of <br />Colorado's appeal. The economic decline that may result from a <br />large export of water diminishes that option. <br /> <br />! <br /> <br />2 <br />