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<br />001386 <br /> <br />to concerns about the preservation of ,irrigated agriculture, the protection <br /> <br />of minimum stream flows, the maintenance of open space, the social and <br /> <br />environmental consequences of boom-town energy development, the overall <br /> <br />balance in the state's economy, and the continued vitality of rural <br /> <br />Colorado. All these concerns are legitimate, and while water is not <br /> <br />necessarily the controlling factor in any of them, it probably does have <br /> <br />something to do with each one. <br /> <br />From the above review of the major issues and concerns with respect <br /> <br />to the use and allocation of water supplies in Colorado, it is apparent <br /> <br />that the water study should focus on two basic questions: <br /> <br />1. What would be the social, economic, and environmental consequences, <br /> <br />or impacts, of various alternative future uses of Colorado's water <br /> <br />resources? One alternative is obviously perpetuation of those <br /> <br />uses which will prevail if there is no change in laws or policies. <br /> <br />2. What changes in the State Constitution, statutes, or administrative <br /> <br />policy, if any, would be needed in order to achieve any particular <br /> <br />use or combination of uses? <br /> <br />In order to answer these questions, the Department of Natural Resources <br /> <br /> <br />has developed information which will quantify and display the impacts of <br /> <br /> <br />consequences which result from various water uses, or combinations of uses, <br /> <br /> <br />in the several hydrologic regions of Colorado. A good deal of work has <br /> <br />also been done in order to analyze the currently available, or potentially <br /> <br />available, legal, budgetary, and administrative means to encourage, foster, <br /> <br />discourage or limit certain water uses, or combinations of uses. The <br /> <br />IV <br />