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<br />1,000,000
<br />600,000
<br />600,000
<br />400.000
<br />200.a[)O
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<br />1990 2000 2010 2ll2O 2030 2040 2050
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<br />Yur
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<br />Figu:e 1. Front Rauge ~1ull.kpal Water COnsu:I:ption
<br />andD:ve:;:ion
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<br />certain water rights in the A:ka.'1sas basin. a.'ld we're moving
<br />that tra.'lSfe:red ag:icultu:"al water into the Cit)' of Aurora.
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<br />\Vhat do the projections of population gro....th mean for the
<br />Fro:il Range and for Colorado? The Corr:.:nissioner of Agri-
<br />culture, Don Arne:1~ talked about 4 million people being in the
<br />State of Colorado. He cited t."e state's demographics. say.
<br />ing that by the year 2050 we will h11.\-e 8.3 millioD people i.'1
<br />the state, The Front Range communities now have about 3.5
<br />million people bew.cen Pueblo and fon Collins. By the year
<br />2050, !hat same area will have 6.5 million people. 1-1 terms
<br />of water consumption, the m\micipalities will ha'..e to increase
<br />their water deliveri.es from 620,000 acre-ft. to 1.18 million
<br />acre.ft. ofwaler by the year 2050.
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<br />Now, on the other side of the water bala:"!ce are ret:'.lrn flows.
<br />Cities curr~.t:y COfiSI.m'le arocnd 420,000 acre-ft.; the rest of
<br />what is djverted is t....e rerum flows that the: Commissioner of
<br />Agriculture identified as the opportUnity for how fa.-ms can
<br />work w:th cities in an iI'.tegra:ed way. And, as water diver-
<br />siems ir.crease, the amount oiwater that v.ill :en:rn to :.h.e
<br />ri....er basin will increase as well. By the year :050, cities \\ill
<br />consu=:e around 800,000 acre-ft. ofwatcr. Between the yecs
<br />2000 a.-ld 2050. these mun.icipaEties will have to find a way to
<br />brir:g ~OO,OOO acre-fl. more 0: conscmable water into the Front.
<br />Rar:.ge
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<br />Some people sa~', "Let's stop g:owir.g." What is lest on t.'lat
<br />stateme::.: is the :act that abo1.:I..O percent of the projected
<br />gro.....th come from natural bin.'lrates. It's notjusl that "eop!e
<br />are oor:1:ng frorr. California, from Chic,zgo, or a:;,~where else.
<br />It's be.;:a~e we cor.tir.l.:e to ha....e births at a higher rate than
<br />deaths.
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<br />Another fa~tcr t.'latls of eo lost is.the importa:~ce of the eco-
<br />nomic enp::.e i:! the cities a."ld \.fe::-opc.lita."l Denver rt!'a._ This
<br />SlJ.te is:ecomiflg-..:.b3.."l-cer.tric,ar.d iflcreasingly the Stale's
<br />eccnO:7l:' is ;:!t;ler:derl: on :.'le addc:.1 value ger.era:ed in ti:e ci:-
<br />ies. ::Y01.: ~ook .ltjuSt tl",e :r..etrcpolitan ar-ea itself, tha: .C?-
<br />resenU S6 rerce:no::I'.e sta:e.s r<;:.'1:.la..;on; 7(1 perce::t offr.e
<br />state's ,....ages wi:..":,,,": t.~e s:x-.::~w;t~. ;.:cttopo!itan a:ea, and 61
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<br />perce::.t of the S".ate :.nCQ::J.e tax. Ifpopulation growth is co::.-
<br />S.,uing a..,.:! if eC(lfjO!:lic grow...; i~ desirable, then t!:e State
<br />must facilitate the delive.y of additional water into the cities,
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<br />One of the t.i:J..i:::.gs that I think ou: leg:sla.to:s a.'1d policy mak-
<br />ers ....ill have to add:ess is sustaining th state's economy,
<br />be::.ause thai. will a:"'fect how we address some of t!:le issues
<br />in Colorado. A.-lother thing 1....at previous speakers ~ave
<br />recognized is that municipalities don't just stand OUI 1.'lere by
<br />themselves, just as agricult\lt'e a."ld the envrror:.mental groups
<br />don't stand out :."'ere by 1.'lemselvcs. We as policy makers
<br />must find a way to appreciate that if the populai.ior. :s grow-
<br />ing, the r.J1.:nicipal water demand is going to grow, and how
<br />can that gro.......h be aCCOr.J.'1lodated with existing agricultural
<br />and developing en....ironmental values?
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<br />The bottom line here is, while I have talked a lot about 1.:."1-
<br />cer-.aiflty, one thing is certain: cha..,gc is hajJpening.
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<br />As a mU:licipal wattr pro....ider, we're going:o have to find
<br />the water to meet the needs of a."lother j.7 million people.
<br />That represents 550,000 acre-ft., of municipal diversior.s, and
<br />we will provide 355,000 acre.ft. of a.:ld:tional return flows
<br />back to the rivers. This to me says, opportunity. \\'hile the
<br />numbers are large, while they are overwhelming, this is the
<br />opportunity and the challenge we must meet if we a:e going
<br />to delll with the issue. \\'here is that water going to come
<br />irom?
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<br />I will share with you here in a few minutes what the City of
<br />Aurora does frorfl a consCNa:ion ~andpoint as a short-ter:n
<br />response to get us t.'u-ough drought.
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<br />Reclamation - We are expa."lding our recla.'1lation sys.
<br />terns; Denver is doing this as well. Sig:1ificar:t demands for
<br />outdoor use are now t-eing met through treated sewage. In a
<br />50-year time fra.-ne, we willl':ave indirect potable and direct
<br />potable systems. We could be d.-inking our :::-eated se....'age
<br />and technology can accomplish that goal already.
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<br />We will have ad.:i::ionat tra."ls.basi:1 imp<ntatior.s, whether it
<br />is from t.l,e A.rka.'lSilS. the Colorado, the G1.:nrJson, perhaps
<br />even the San Luis Yalley. We have 10 fu"ld a way to main-
<br />tain this ability for the water that we han ~n !be Sou1.l, Platte
<br />whet."ler it's used for agricu:t'Jral or mu..icipal use. To me,
<br />this is not stated as a threat; it is rather a."l opportunity - a
<br />rr.assi\'e opportunity because of the upstream location of the
<br />me::-opoli:a.."l areas t.iat c.Quld develop a.'1d transfer wa:er to
<br />municipalities a..,d :hen provide retur.l flows to downstream
<br />agriculture areas.
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<br />South Platte Wat::-r- b ::002 the r..ajcrity oftlte basir.'s
<br />wa:er was l:5ed for ic.-rigation. A lc: of what you hear abeu:
<br />in this debate is ift!:e cites co::t::1l.:e l~ grow, agric'..llrure
<br />w:ll be out ofbwiness. CorrL-nissior.er Don Ar!ler:: ta!ked.
<br />ab01.:: 85 pe:cc:l: cft!:e water in Colorado be:!'.g used :-or
<br />agric;.:l:ural pu;-poses. nat r~jJrese....ts about 15 :ninio:;
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