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<br />HOL YOKE ENTERPRISE
<br />
<br />,hursday, February 12, 2004
<br />
<br />Colorado water demandisexpe'cted\
<br />to increase by 60 percent ll,,2030
<br />
<br />Representatives for the historic kansas Basins. .'ing',solutions .to meet .current .and
<br />Statewide Water Supply Initiative The demand projections are the. fulllre 'needs for water. 'The 18-
<br />(SWSI) recently told the Colorado result of surveys from nearly 170 ..month intensive process is perhaps:
<br />WaterConservationBoard(CWCB) water providers throughout the ,the wost .'inclusive and ,public .-in ,:
<br />that initial fmdingsshow Colorado's state, as well as extensive research.Colorado' s water.history. .'
<br />cities and industrial users will need and analysis of current municipal ,SWSI's mission is'to create 'a .
<br />an additional 708,000 acre feet of and industrial use, urban water de- common' understanding .of
<br />water by the year 2030. mandstudies, projected population "Colorado's water .issues ,by.incor-
<br />, "This is a 60 percent increase in growth, other demographic factors,poratingthe perspectives and input,
<br />mUOlclpal and mdustnal demand, and weather data. .oflill Coloradans,'bnngmgtogether,
<br />enough water to supply a new city ltalso includes information gath- .div,erseinterests.of citizens, agri: .
<br />of more than 2.5 million people in ered from SWSI-sponsored public. ,culture, industry,the.environment,
<br />Colorado," said Rick Brown of and technical meetmgsheldin each . recreation and municipalities. ','
<br />CWCB. of the water basins that brought For .IDoreinformation, contact,
<br />"This information shows why it togetherrepresentatives from agri- 'Rick Brown of the Colorado.Water
<br />is so important for SWSI to move culture, industry, environmental Conservation .Boardat .303-866-
<br />on to the next phase of the study interests, recreational water users 35l4orrick.brown@state.co.us.ln-,
<br />where we can examine the variety and municipalities. terested 'parties may also -visit,..
<br />of solutions that can be used to The initial findings are being re-.' www,cwcb.state.co.usforadditiomil:
<br />meet this demand," he added. -viewed in a series of SWSI meet-information and/or future 'basin,
<br />Possible solutions include con- ings that are being held through the', . meeting dates.
<br />servation, cooperative efforts be- end of February in each of
<br />tween water interests, reuse of ex- Colorado's eight river basins. .~
<br />isting water, transferring water The information and feedback'
<br />rights, rehabilitating, improving or from each basin, as well as comple-',
<br />enlarging existing water facilities tion of the analysis of the future of
<br />andbu:ildi-ngJle-w'supplyfaci}jti~:::'~ .;agTicultural demand forwater,'will"
<br />~'!Never in the history of the state round out the picture of Colorado's
<br />has a comprehensive statewide future water demand.
<br />analysis been done that links
<br />Colorado's future water demand
<br />md supply with a process that is
<br />'ocused on finding solutions to
<br />neeting the state's future needs,"
<br />;aid Eric Wilkinson, chair of
<br />:WCB.
<br />"This study will provide a solid
<br />'oundation for local interests, state
<br />lolicy-makers, and water provid-
<br />:rs to determine the best ways to
<br />neet current and future demands
<br />'or water, and to be better prepared
<br />o deal wi th droughts such as the
<br />:urrent extreme, multi-year
<br />lrought our state continues to
<br />'ace," Wilkinson stated.
<br />The analysis shows that munici-
<br />)al and industrial (M&I) demand
<br />:or water will increase in every one
<br />)f Colorado's eight river basins
<br />)ver the next 30 years.
<br />Tbe Colorado and Dolores/San'
<br />Juan/Miguel Basins are projected
<br />to have the greatest percentage in-
<br />crease, while the North Platte and
<br />Rio Grande will have the least.
<br />More than 80 percent of the in-
<br />creased demand, meanwhile, will
<br />come in the South Platte and Ar-
<br />
<br />Next steps outlined
<br />Over the next two months, SWSI
<br />will shift to evaluating water sup-
<br />ply, specifically how much water
<br />Colorado currently has and is ex-
<br />pected to develop over the next 30
<br />years.
<br />At that time, another round of
<br />basin technical meeti ngs will be
<br />held to discuss the findings.
<br />After the 3D-year supply and de-
<br />mand picture has been completed,
<br />the state will have a better under-
<br />standing of the size of the gap be-
<br />tween sqppJy and demand and
<br />SWSI ~ll move to tbe next
<br />phase-consideration of a wide
<br />range of priority solutions to meet
<br />any unmeLdemand.
<br />As part of the State's effort to
<br />prepare for its future water needs '
<br />by better management of its water
<br />resources, SWSI was initiated in'
<br />August of 2003.
<br />Through SWSI-for the first
<br />time in its history-Colorado is
<br />conducting a forward-looking sup-
<br />ply and demand analysis and will
<br />recommend a method for identify-
<br />
<br />.
<br />
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