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BOARD01997
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BOARD01997
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Last modified
8/16/2009 3:09:49 PM
Creation date
10/4/2006 7:06:29 AM
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Board Meetings
Board Meeting Date
3/21/2002
Description
Flood Section - Proposed Stream Restoration Program
Board Meetings - Doc Type
Memo
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<br />/ <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado <br />Legislative <br />Council <br />Staff <br /> <br />ISSUE BRJ[EF <br /> <br />Number 99-5 <br /> <br />July 14, 1999 <br /> <br />A Legislative Council Publication <br /> <br />FINDING WATER FOR ONE MILLION NEW RESIDENTS <br />by David Beaujon <br /> <br />The population for the Northern Front Range of <br />Colorado is projected to increase by almost a million <br />people in the neJct 20 years to approximately 3.5 <br />million. This area includes Denver, Larimer, <br />Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties, <br />Depending upon their water-use practices, these <br />new residents will need approximately 300,000 <br />acre-feet of water for domestic and commercial <br />purposes by the end of2020. An acre-foot of water <br />is the average amount of water used by a falnily of <br />four in one year. <br /> <br />Some water suppliers will be able to satisfY their <br />water needs for the neJct 20 years from existing <br />supplies, For example, only 265,000 acre-feet of <br />Denver's 345,000 acre-feet supply capacity is being <br />used currently, Other water providers will need to <br />obtain 'new water supplies before 2020, A water <br />supplier generally has several sources from which to <br />'obtain additional water. This issue brief describes <br />four possible water sources and the primary <br />challenges of obtaining water from these sources, <br />These 'sources include surplus river water, <br />groundwater, transfers froni agricultural water <br />rights, and water reuse. <br /> <br />Surplus River Water <br /> <br />Of Colorado's seven river basins, only the <br />Colorado River Basin has a significant amount of <br />surplus water that could be developed for use in tlle <br />Denver metropolitan area. Specifically, the <br />Colorado River Basinhas up to 450,000 acre-feet of <br />surplus water that is not being used within the state <br />or obligated to downstream states. This water is <br /> <br />available to anyone who' can satisfY the legal <br />requirements to obtain it. <br /> <br />Challenges. Several obstacles could limit tlle <br />use of additional river water including federal <br />environmental laws and public opposition to major <br />water development projects. For example, several <br />endangered species depend on water from the <br />Colorado River. The federal Endangered Species Act <br />of1973 may prohibit or greatly restrict a project that <br />threatens the survival of these species, Large dams <br />typically take 10 to 20 years to plan and build. Legal <br />challenges based on federal environmental laws may <br />add to a project's cost and delay construction. Other <br />impacts may also limit the development of river <br />water, For example, public opposition to large dams <br />may be significant because dams typically inundate <br />canyons and river fisheries which are popular <br />recreation,aI resources. Water projects that divert <br />western river water to the East Slope, called <br />transbasin diversions, also face opposition, <br />Transbasin diversions remove water that could be <br />used for recreation and to supply future West Slope <br />development. <br /> <br />Nontributary Groundwater <br /> <br />Nontributary groundwater is groundwater that is <br />essentially unconnected to surface streams. Colorado <br />has significant nontributary groundwater resources <br />including the Denver Basin Aquifer that underlies the <br />Northern Front Range. This aquifer contains <br />approximately 300 million acre-feet of us able wateL <br />TIlls amount is 15 times greater than Lake Powell in <br />Utah and 400 times greater than Blue Mesa <br /> <br />The Legislative Council is the research. ann of the Colorado General Assembly, <br />The Council provides non-partisan information services and staff support to the Colomdo ',egislarure. <br />
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