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<br />~ ,.,~, t:;,.,.. <br />('J \,1 L .):~; J <br /> <br />59 <br /> <br /> <br />-j <br />" <br /> <br />,;1 <br /><;,1 <br /> <br />-,:1 <br /> <br />social costs, as well as costs being borne by water users. It would <br />seem possible, however, that institutional arrangements that would <br />facilitat~ voluntary basinwide management could help to reduce litiga- <br />tion. <br /> <br /> <br />5.2 Growing Urban Demands <br />The 'South Platte Basin in Colorado contains both the major popula- <br /> <br />tion of the state and its most productive irrigated agricultural lands. <br />Yet in t~rms of water availability the basin has only 12 percent of the <br />state's $upply; and of this, 84 percent is withdrawn for agriculture. ' <br />This meal1s that municipal and industrial (M&I) water withdrawals are <br />only 16 perc~nt of the basin's total water supply. <br />This apparent insignificant role that urban water plays in the <br />basin's water supply picture is undergoing major change because of the <br />growth irj population that the basin is expected to experience. The <br />change in!water use within the hasin initiated by Thornton, and discussed <br />above, is only the beginning of major transfers that can be expected. <br />Agricultural usage is expected to increase very little, if at all, but <br />domllstic, commercial and industrial water demand will increase propor- <br />tionately, with the population. In addition, major new water imports <br />into the tbasin will all be urban-based. By the year 2000 it is pro- <br />jected that more than 20 percent of the water withdrawals in the basin <br />will be for municipal and industrial purposes. Increased cooperation <br />and mutu4lly advantageous management by municipal, industrial and <br />agricultu~al water users are forseen as mitigating the impact of growth <br />on the basin's water supplies. <br /> <br /> <br />;,:'; <br />" <br />'1 <br /> <br />, <br />t. <br /> <br />." _" _, ", L ,;. .,",,~ <br /> <br />,~j <br />;~ ~', ,Jb.h";'''''' _~ A,.'Jii <br />