Colorado and the West is running out of water . . . (Denver: venues, winter)

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

As for the best farmland being turned in to suburbia, there is very little best farmland in Colorado. Our growing season is too short and we don't have the natural water to support it. A tremendous amount of our government subsidized water gets used to grow high water crops with short growing seasons like alfalfa that is used to feed livestock. Farming should mostly be done in other states. People should eat far less meat. We should not be using fossil fuels as much as we do. The list goes on, but unfortunately people don't want to make the tough decisions.

Well, consider this. Until suburban development started chewing up the best farmland in two of Colorado's counties with some of the most favorable climate for farming--Weld and Larimer--those two counties had the distinction of having the best diversity of crops of any counties in the United States outside of some of the most diversified ag production counties in California. Or the fact that in the first half of the 20th century--before suburban development began devouring some of Colorado's best farmlands--that Colorado produced many of the highest quality agricultural products in the United States. Colorado is still one of the best agricultural producing states in the US--amazing because so much of Colorado's land area IS ill-suited for agriculture--but Colorado has lost a lot of its agricultural diversity in the last 50 years.

And, not to put too fine a point on this, but some of the most productive agricultural land in North America is located in the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains states, and the Prairie and Plains provinces of Canada, where growing seasons are often shorter than in many of Colorado's farming counties.

[Idunn]

Originally Posted by EricNorthman

I couldn't get the first link to work and since it looked important, I searched for the updated link. I believe this is it and wanted to share for others interested. Over 400 pages of info.

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sit...%28FULL%29.pdf

Thank you for checking and updating the link to the draft Colorado water plan.
***


Per Colorado agriculture, as using the lion's share of available water there is little to no chance that they will not be impacted by new water rules, being formulated as we speak. Still to be determined how rational the outcome will be, but an objective assessment of Colorado's water resources would see them apportioned wisely with enough for all in measure. But there is only so much.

Speaking of population, unfortunately one of the favorite places for new suburbia along the Front Range is precisely where some of the very best agriculture land is: being eastern Larimer and western Weld counties.

If a shift to dry land farming influences ranching as well, and cows out on the range where they belong, I'm all for it. No one, cow, chicken, pig or anyone else deserves to end up in the abysmal conditions of a factory farm. Or, for that matter, our health so negatively influenced in consequence through unindented ingestion of antibiotics, hormones and such.

To repeat, the Colorado water plan that will influence the life of everyone in this state is presently, this year of 2015, only in gestation. Nothing has been formally decided (at least publicly). But this is exactly the time when we the public can best influence the outcome.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Well, consider this. Until suburban development started chewing up the best farmland in two of Colorado's counties with some of the most favorable climate for farming--Weld and Larimer--those two counties had the distinction of having the best diversity of crops of any counties in the United States outside of some of the most diversified ag production counties in California. Or the fact that in the first half of the 20th century--before suburban development began devouring some of Colorado's best farmlands--that Colorado produced many of the highest quality agricultural products in the United States. Colorado is still one of the best agricultural producing states in the US--amazing because so much of Colorado's land area IS ill-suited for agriculture--but Colorado has lost a lot of its agricultural diversity in the last 50 years.

And, not to put too fine a point on this, but some of the most productive agricultural land in North America is located in the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains states, and the Prairie and Plains provinces of Canada, where growing seasons are often shorter than in many of Colorado's farming counties.

That's intersting regarding Weld and Larimer. Did not know that, but again, it's all fake because we ultimately don't have the water to support it. The Northern Plains has the water. I would also add that agricultural diversity is largely market driven.

I'd also be curious as to your solution. You may have laid it out somewhere in the 150 pages here, but I haven't gone through them all. Do you stop farmers from being able to sell their land?

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

That's intersting regarding Weld and Larimer. Did not know that, but again, it's all fake because we ultimately don't have the water to support it. The Northern Plains has the water. I would also add that agricultural diversity is largely market driven.

I'd also be curious as to your solution. You may have laid it out somewhere in the 150 pages here, but I haven't gone through them all. Do you stop farmers from being able to sell their land?

His solution is for all us non-natives to GTH out of Colorado!

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by FallsAngel

His solution is for all us non-natives to GTH out of Colorado!

Whew!! I'm safe. My family moved here in the 1890's.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

I'd also be curious as to your solution. You may have laid it out somewhere in the 150 pages here, but I haven't gone through them all. Do you stop farmers from being able to sell their land?

Well, one very obvious solution is to stop the consumptive use of water by metro areas that is used solely for lawn irrigation. I would also favor a complete moratorium on any additional transmountain diversions of water beyond the amount of water that is currently being diverted. I would also favor issuing a full moratorium on ANY additional well permits being issued in either the Denver Basin Aquifer or the Ogallala Aquifer for any use--residential, industrial, municipal, or agricultural. Finally, I would support a ban on any additional conversions of agricultural water rights to either municipal or industrial use and a ban on any additional destruction of critical riparian wetlands for development of water supplies for municipal and industrial use. That would be a start toward sensible water policy in Colorado and it would send a clear signal that Colorado must learn to live within its means when it comes to its water supplies.

[Mike from back east]

90% of water used in Colorado is used by Agriculture, maybe that's the problem, they got 90% and want it all, just like 1%ers everywhere.

[CosmicWizard]

I would suggest a 2ist century method of irrigation to replace the outdated, wasteful spray-it-in-the-air abuse of water that is practiced agriculturally.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

I would suggest a 2ist century method of irrigation to replace the outdated, wasteful spray-it-in-the-air abuse of water that is practiced agriculturally.

The Jews make the desert bloom in Israel with drip irrigation.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

90% of water used in Colorado is used by Agriculture, maybe that's the problem, they got 90% and want it all, just like 1%ers everywhere.

Yeah, and as I've said many times, at least farmers and ranchers actually PRODUCE something with that water, namely FOOD. What do suburbanites produce with their bluegrass lawns besides clippings for the landfill to deal with?