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ENLARGE
One of the concerns about too much water diversion from the thirsty Front Range is the reduction of stream flow for the West Slope's recreation-based economy.
DENVER — The state demographer's office predicts Colorado's population will double to about 8 million by 2050. And that has huge implications for water use in the arid Centennial State.
Statewide environmental groups are working with legislators this year to lay the groundwork for water conservation measures that will make the best use of a scarce resource.
“People really understand the importance of conservation,” said Summit County native Becky Long, who works for Colorado Environmental Coalition, a statewide advocacy group. “Every drop of water you take out of a river is one you'll never see again. Water is one of our most precious resources, and it needs to be part of the road map as we're planning for the state's future growth.”
Among a package of state water conservation bills is a measure to continue Colorado's existing water-efficiency grant program, which was set to expire in 2012. The program provides financial assistance to communities, water providers and other agencies for water conservation activities and projects.
“This helps a lot of our West Slope municipalities to get funding for particular projects,” said Shanna Koenig, who tracks water issues for local governments in Summit County and other Western Slope communities. “We are supportive of any way we can conserve water better in the state. And the more water conservation that is done on the East Slope will potentially lead to less water being moved from the West Slope.”
If passed, the bill would provide up to $550,000 per year for water conservation and efficiency projects through 2020.
Conservationists are also working to create a reporting system whereby large water suppliers, like Denver Water, would gather and publish data annually on water use, number of users, conservation efforts and efficiency projects.
“We don't really have the data to tell us what's coming out of these conservation efforts like we do on other issues,” Long said. “The goal of the bill is to get that snapshot of information each year so we can plan better.”
Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier said she is supportive of more robust water conservation efforts and plans to keep an eye on the bills as they make their way through the state Legislature.
“I think water is the most critical resource in Colorado, so it makes sense for environmental groups to work collaboratively for good conservation measures throughout the state,” Stiegelmeier said. “Most people here are aware that a lot of our water goes to the East, and people get extremely annoyed when they see Kentucky bluegrass and sprinklers sending water out into the streets.”
Working harder on the usage side is a better policy, she said.
“It just makes sense for conservation measures to be in place before any additional diversions from the West Slope to the East Slope,” Stiegelmeier added.
jsutor@summitdaily.com
Statewide environmental groups are working with legislators this year to lay the groundwork for water conservation measures that will make the best use of a scarce resource.
“People really understand the importance of conservation,” said Summit County native Becky Long, who works for Colorado Environmental Coalition, a statewide advocacy group. “Every drop of water you take out of a river is one you'll never see again. Water is one of our most precious resources, and it needs to be part of the road map as we're planning for the state's future growth.”
Among a package of state water conservation bills is a measure to continue Colorado's existing water-efficiency grant program, which was set to expire in 2012. The program provides financial assistance to communities, water providers and other agencies for water conservation activities and projects.
“This helps a lot of our West Slope municipalities to get funding for particular projects,” said Shanna Koenig, who tracks water issues for local governments in Summit County and other Western Slope communities. “We are supportive of any way we can conserve water better in the state. And the more water conservation that is done on the East Slope will potentially lead to less water being moved from the West Slope.”
If passed, the bill would provide up to $550,000 per year for water conservation and efficiency projects through 2020.
Conservationists are also working to create a reporting system whereby large water suppliers, like Denver Water, would gather and publish data annually on water use, number of users, conservation efforts and efficiency projects.
“We don't really have the data to tell us what's coming out of these conservation efforts like we do on other issues,” Long said. “The goal of the bill is to get that snapshot of information each year so we can plan better.”
Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier said she is supportive of more robust water conservation efforts and plans to keep an eye on the bills as they make their way through the state Legislature.
“I think water is the most critical resource in Colorado, so it makes sense for environmental groups to work collaboratively for good conservation measures throughout the state,” Stiegelmeier said. “Most people here are aware that a lot of our water goes to the East, and people get extremely annoyed when they see Kentucky bluegrass and sprinklers sending water out into the streets.”
Working harder on the usage side is a better policy, she said.
“It just makes sense for conservation measures to be in place before any additional diversions from the West Slope to the East Slope,” Stiegelmeier added.
jsutor@summitdaily.com
The price of cheap water
DENVER — State Sen. Dan Gibbs is co-sponsoring legislation that would address the environmental and economic impacts that occur when water is moved from one part of the state to another.
The movement of water, often referred to as trans-basin diversions, is big business in Colorado. The natural water supplies in and around Colorado's biggest metropolitan areas don't begin to meet demand. So urban water suppliers look to other river basins to slake the thirst of their rapidly growing communities. Denver Water, for example, provides water to more than 1 million people in the Denver metro area. It owns the rights to water in several communities west of the Continental Divide, including Summit County. Dillon Reservoir is Denver Water's largest water-storage facility and holds nearly 40 percent of Denver's water. The agency uses about 265,000 acre-feet of water per year, yet the agency estimates it will need an additional 34,000 acre-feet per year by 2030. “When water is moved, so is a community's potential for economic prosperity,” said state Rep. Sal Pace, author and co-sponsor of the legislation that would require water suppliers to mitigate the environmental and economic problems created by trans-basin diversions. “This would require people to sit around the table to discuss the future impacts of potential water diversions,” Gibbs said. “It doesn't stop anyone from buying water rights, but it really helps address the local problems in more rural areas. I think this is a really positive bill for Summit County and the rest of the West Slope.” Denver Water has formally opposed the legislation, according to spokeswoman Stacy Chesney. “I've spent nine months on this already, and most of the water providers said they would work with me, and they could live with some of this stuff,” Pace said. “At the end of the day, they care more about getting cheap water than they do about whether we've got a viable statewide economy.” — Julie Sutor |
