Colorado and the West is running out of water . . . (Denver: utilities, centers)

[brightdoglover]

Aw, that's can't be true. What would be left for swimming pools?

[CAVA1990]

that's the other 50%. They drink fancy bottled water so don't use the tap for that.

[Dorthy]

Denver Water looks for more mountain water | SummitDaily.com

[CAVA1990]

Technically, is there really less water, or just more people using it?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Technically, is there really less water, or just more people using it?

Both. Colorado's water resources are already significantly overappropriated. Colorado's burgeoning (now excess) population is also relying on stored water and non-renewable aquifers for a growing part of its water needs. If Colorado is in a long-term drought cycle (i.e., one that lasts for a decade or more), which some climatologists believe that it is, then there may actually be less water available as time goes on. Meanwhile, the only gambit the developer-dominated water buffaloes can propose is to divert more water from agriculture and critical wetlands to municipal use, and to propose ever-more expensive and unaffordable water storage projects--flooding more of Colorado's irreplaceable canyons and riparian areas. Of course, someone with a brain could actually propose strict water conservation measures on suburban Colorado--especially on consumptive outdoor irrigation--or maybe even admit that the Colorado population is plenty big enough right now. But the people who have a vested interest in tearing the state apart to make a quick buck want to hear none of that . . .

[Idunn]

“Front Range residents must recognize the connection between our water use and the health of our rivers and streams, fisheries and wildlife habitat,” said Colorado Trout Unlimited director Dave Nickum. “We can't continue to take and take from these rivers without accounting for our impacts. The glass is not even half full. It's almost drained dry.”
- from the 'Summit Daily News'


There are more people using less and less water. Colorado's rapidly expanding population is projected to increase from roughly 5 million today to 10 million in 2050. I doubt it will actually get there, for a variety of reasons, but that another story. One big reason, however, would be due a lack of water. If 10 million souls were to squeeze into this state*, they would be sharing less water than 5 million do today. Our changing climate has already resulted in less snow pack and total precipitation, and this trend will only intensify in the coming decades.

If people around this planet pay attention and change their ways now this trend is reversible, however what has already been done will result in a significantly drier Colorado in the decades to come; the only option we have is whether we allow this to become an absolute crisis and nearly irreversible, or begin to mend what we have done to our collective planet. Taking steps to reduce population would also help.

Current water usage along the Front Range is unsustainable. They are seeking to appropriate other's water because they are not only running up against the limits of what they have, but depleting underlying aquifers that take a long time to recharge, and to the extent they may damage the aquifers ability to hold as much water again. In short, Denver and other Front Range communities need to consider ways to lesson their water usage, not schemes to expand demand.

And appropriating water from somewhere else that can ill afford the grant is not the solution. It is at best a very short term solution, and by most any other name might be considered theft.


* Why of course 10 million or more people would fit within Colorado. It is not a question of space as much as the limits of resources in water, food and all else that the average Coloradan presently uses. But by way of simple comparison imagine your household budget and how apportioned if the size of your household doubled. Same exact size house, too. Then, with this increased responsibility, begin reducing your household income a bit each year.

[Idunn]

While not dealing with Colorado specifically (as far as I can tell, having only gotten part way in), this nevertheless a very apt discussion concerning the relative growth of Arizona and New Mexico:
Why is New Mexico not growing as fast as Arizona?

Worth reading from page one, but really beginning to take off from page three. The discussion of water, population, consequences of growth, the potential for, are all quite relevant to Colorado.

[CAVA1990]

Basically there are two classes of states, PLSS and non-PLSS, as regards this question. Jazzlover's statement would apply to those in the PLSS class of states, which includes all the states in the Western U.S. (I don't consider Texas part of that). Those are generally the ones that use a township and range land survey system versus the old metes and bounds system found in the original 13 colonies. You can read the excrutiating details here:

Public Land Survey System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Basically there are two classes of states, PLSS and non-PLSS, as regards this question. Jazzlover's statement would apply to those in the PLSS class of states, which includes all the states in the Western U.S. (I don't consider Texas part of that). Those are generally the ones that use a township and range land survey system versus the old metes and bounds system found in the original 13 colonies. You can read the excrutiating details here:

Public Land Survey System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colorado's water issues have little to do with whether the state uses the PLSS land survey system. It has to do with Colorado--and most western states--having limited water resources. How those resources are allocated is through the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation--which, simply stated, means "first in use, first in right." Unlike much of the rest of the country, where water rights are "riparian"--tied to the land--water rights in the West are not tied to the land, but are a separate right.

In fact, Colorado's oldest adjudicated water rights are in an area of the state, the San Luis Valley, in which there are areas that are NOT part of the PLSS--they are Spanish Land Grants. There are also plenty of other states that use the PLSS, where water rights ARE riparian.

I have spent a good part of my professional career dealing with both the PLSS and Colorado water law on nearly a daily basis. I'm neither a surveyor nor a water attorney, but I can do a pretty good job of keeping up with both when I find it necessary.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Colorado's water issues have little to do with whether the state uses the PLSS land survey system.

I'm looking back up the thread and can't quite figure out why I threw that in here. Seemed to make sense at the time.