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<br />O t. <'. ') 8 4 <br />U.lv <br /> <br />water to agriculture at reduced costs. Such projects are probably the <br /> <br />only way of significantly increasing the amount of irrigated acreage in <br /> <br />the state, aside from increased use of finite ground water resources. <br /> <br />However, the future of federal reclamation projects has been clouded by <br /> <br />changes in federal water policies, and therefore the extent to which <br /> <br />additional. water will be consumed by irrigated agriculture is uncertain. <br /> <br />In addition to the concern for agriculture, the state has articulated <br /> <br />a number of other related social or environmental concerns to which water <br /> <br />is alleged to have a connection. Most of these concerns are not measureable <br /> <br />in dollar values, or cannot otherwise be accommodated in a market transfer <br /> <br />of water. For example, one concern is for the continued balance in the <br /> <br />state's economy. Five separate sectors of the Colorado economy (agriculture, <br /> <br />tourism, manufacturing, mining, and government) each contribute a billion <br /> <br />dollars or more to the Colorado economy. There is concern that market <br /> <br />economics not be permitted to let agriculture become a weakened partner <br /> <br />in maintenance of this balance, and a perception that if water flows only <br /> <br />uphill toward money, it will flow away from agriculture, and thus upset <br /> <br />the state's balanced and stable economic base. <br /> <br />The final factor influencing the future demand for water in Colorado <br /> <br />is the growing concern for the maintenance and protection of the "public <br /> <br />interest" values in water, briefly noted above in the description of the <br /> <br />water rights system. Recent trends and future projections show that <br /> <br />increases in disposable income and leisure time will lead to increased <br /> <br />demands on the recreational waters of the state. Outdoor activities which <br /> <br />wholly or partially depend on water, such as fishing, boating, hiking, <br /> <br />kayaking, hunting, etc" have increased substantially in the last few <br /> <br />i2- <br />