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<br />Water: Front Range supply areas remain dry
<br />
<br />Continu~dfrom4_\
<br />reSldents are ex;:>ected. accordmlito
<br />data from the Colorado state demog-
<br />rapher.
<br />The OndJngs corne 1n the rrudst of
<br />a stubborn drought, and two
<br />months alter voters soundly reject.
<br />ed a S~ bUllan water nnancing plan
<br />pushed by GO\' BW Owens.
<br />Though most of the high country
<br />has a near-average sno.....-pack. areas
<br />cntica1 to Front I'..ange water sup-
<br />plies remain c1r)'. The South Platte
<br />River Basin. for instance. 15 only 63
<br />pereent o~ average, according to
<br />state engmeer Hal Sunpson.
<br />Dem'er Water. like other utWties,
<br />is carefully monitoring the weather.
<br />It v.ill decide in Aprtl whether water
<br />reSL'"lCtlons ",ill bt' imposed again
<br />this summer, according to spokes-
<br />woman Tnna McG~.Collier.
<br />The agency, which serves 1.::: mil-
<br />lion metro-area cll!\tomers. denves
<br />about half lts water supplies from
<br />the South Platte River. If Denver
<br />limits summer water use, It \\,ill
<br />mark the third year in a ro..... the
<br />agency has curtailed use to protect
<br />supplies in its mount.aln reservoirs.
<br />Such problems are likely to be-
<br />come more common as COlorado's
<br />population contmues to gnw., .....ater
<br />officialssaJct.
<br />That's one oftbe reasons the slate
<br />went forward ....ith the ambitious wa-
<br />teranalysis.
<br />The study, the product of long.
<br />technical meetmgs ....lth officials
<br />from each of Colorado's eIght major
<br />rinr basins, is already piO\ing difli-
<br />cult.walerofficialssaid,
<br />Eaeh basm is protectl\'e ants sup-
<br />pl.Jes and suspicious of the st.ate's
<br />search for closely guarded water da-
<br />ta
<br />wTrus is 1.11.f' Erst ti.'T!e anyl.lung like
<br />this has been taken on. M Wilkinson
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />Water demand
<br />
<br />Estimated percent increa5e in municipal. indusoialand !oCJr-suppbed "'-ale':"
<br />demand and the colT1.'5pOndln{: quann~ of ""aIel" nE't'ried In acre leel per ~ea: b~' th~
<br />~"eaT 2Q3O.
<br />Yampa and White North Platte Colorado South Platte
<br />34% (DefCm !1"O'f ~ ~ Z03C) 25% 58% 60%
<br />9,800 (ou.r.trty neeoed ~ 2030) 110 75,000 469,000
<br />~ ~~if.. r "/
<br />:-: ~......_~ ,->~ j~~ .'l:' .A~.
<br />~__.J..;".-'~" J:'~' ~. er, _ '.r\ _ .
<br />- ~.'--"''''''':''- ~ -:/ . ----.--.- , .
<br />.....~l....".,.....j )~. .~,.
<br />~_,. '""----"'-.S~, D-" ','. _ ....:.:;,..
<br />r -~~': ,{,,;,""~..__i" _:----' . - - ~
<br />iJ'~--o:;";;{1'r" ~~~'~~'~~'~~"'\';';:t\-~
<br />rl ~".:"'1-' . ,)4 . 'r~'" .~"
<br />t1"-:.....v-:.~---;-- ~'!'/-,.,; _~l:.. ".""
<br />r' ",'I ~, ;~ '--:"< ~- ',}. . ",
<br />,,,,N. ~ '. . ..v' ~/ "-----L--. . . t\ .
<br />JI ~'-- ~~ ~"-----
<br />Dolores and San Juan Gunnison Rto Grande ArkallSAS
<br />60% 81% 33o/D 41%
<br />22,000 18.000 5,700 108.000
<br />
<br />Sourct'C.:l~aooW31""C~at'on8oilrd
<br />
<br />s.:1id, ~Whi.ll:" .....e.re making our best d..
<br />fan to mala' this a success. its real
<br />success \\ill reI)' on the water users
<br />themselves.M
<br />In Colorado. although farms still
<br />eonsuml:" more than 85 pt'rcent of
<br />8vaiJablewatl:"r.lhose supplies, "spe-
<br />cially along the Front Range. are
<br />largely owned and controlled by CIt-
<br />ies and water distric:.s.
<br />Since last August, when the study
<br />be~an_ fast.gro....mg citIes have
<br />watched the state dosely as it seeks
<br />a bIgger role in water planning and
<br />project develo?ment.
<br />Aurora mOl...,g aggreSSively to de.
<br />
<br />JIOC>o''''''''''.'''''l''
<br />
<br />velop nf'..... supplies. said it doesn't
<br />n('ed the stale's hf'lp or guidance.
<br />though ItS datil IS reflected in the
<br />state's new analysIs.
<br />-nus study IS an crfectlve forum
<br />for illuminatmg the water needs of
<br />Colorado: srod Peter Bmney, Auro-
<br />ra'S director of utilities. ~But ....e re
<br />not looking for the sludy to help us
<br />pla.'1 or ldentif:.' new suppl1es That's
<br />ourresponsibw:y The studyv..i1l re-
<br />flect what we're> gOll!; to do anyv..'ay.
<br />And I'm eO;(ll0r_ablewith that."
<br />
<br />Sl':':::.Vi"i Roc;.."};.\!cl.;:'Ila:....v',"Ws.com
<br />or J03-892-54~';
<br />
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