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<br />O"'J"'~ <br />u I J;:) <br /> <br />PotentiallFuture Alternative Demands for Water <br />Water in the South Platte Basin has historically been developed and dominated by irrigated agriculture <br />use, However, recent population growth on the front range, combined with emerging water demands for fish <br />and wildlife habitat and recreation, is resulting in a gradual reallocation of water away from agriculture, The <br />reallocation of agricultural water is evidenced by the fact that the Front Range experienced an 8% decline in <br />irrigated acreage between 1978 and 1992, or a loss of57,000 acres, In addition, 67 agriculturaI-to-municipal <br />change of use cases were filed with the Division I Water Court between 1977 and 1991. These 67 <br />applications sought to transfer a total of 768 water rights originally decreed to agricultural use, In addition, <br />agricultural water allotments for Colorado-Big Thompson Project water have declined over the last 20 years, <br />while those for municipal water use have increased. <br />Fish and wildlife habitat maintenance has emerged as a relatively recent demand for water in the basin, <br />Demand. for water for fish, maintenance of riparian zones for wildlife habitat, and recoveIy of declining <br />native and threatened and endangered species are increasing, Recreational demand is also increasing because <br />of increasing population in the basin and the growing popularity of water-based recreation. <br /> <br />22 <br />