CO is great! Damn it is crowded. (Denver, Fort Collins: 2015, place to live)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

I got out of Denver almost 20 years ago, because it got too crowded me then. ....

32+ yrs ago for me to leave CO due to overcrowding and being pushed of ranch land due to taxes / urban interface (Growing houses instead of crops / livestock).

It was a good move for me to leave, tho I still own some property in CO and visit often, it is just VERY crowded in many areas (not only front range). Denver (i.e. big burb on the prairie) is VERY huge and takes a long time to get away from people. Not as huge as Phoenix. (yet). THAT is way Out of control (growth and no water... unless you steal from crops).

Denver pollution was really bad in the 70's...

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Lost Roses

I've been on many garden tours in Denver and this out of control mixture is fairly common. I think a lot of people jump in to xeriscaping by planting every low-water plant they see. I presume that at least some of them eventually cut back when they see what is successful and what isn't. Sometimes it's hard to exercise restraint in the garden, but I agree xeriscaping can be done quite successfully in our area, and would certainly help conserve water in Colorado. I don't think it's reasonable to hope everyone would subscribe to this method though. We love our bluegrass too much!

I see people xeriscape their tree lawn in Stapleton and it looks good when they first plant it, but they don't have any vision of how it will look in 5 years when it fills in. I just don't like the "plant 50 different types of plant" thing looks over time. Have a plan, and think about what it will look like long-term. Less can be more!

[BornintheSprings]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

And it's all ready been determined that it will be too expensive for most California users, but you think Coloradans will be willing to pay even more for it?

Seawater desalination is often seen as the ultimate technological fix for California's water supply. This is apparent in San Diego County where the Poseidon Corporation will build the Western Hemisphere's largest seawater desalination plant in 2012. While desalination may be viable for some coastal regions, it is too expensive for most of California's water users.

Why do you assume that desalination technology isn't going to improve? There is clearly a massive demand for alternate water sources. What makes you think the technology will stagnate and always be expensive? Its like someone from the 80s saying computers will always be to expensive for the average person now computers more powerful than anything from that time period and they can fit in your pocket.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by Lost Roses

I've been on many garden tours in Denver and this out of control mixture is fairly common. I think a lot of people jump in to xeriscaping by planting every low-water plant they see. I presume that at least some of them eventually cut back when they see what is successful and what isn't. Sometimes it's hard to exercise restraint in the garden, but I agree xeriscaping can be done quite successfully in our area, and would certainly help conserve water in Colorado. I don't think it's reasonable to hope everyone would subscribe to this method though. We love our bluegrass too much!

I would hope that the majority can get to a point where they balance what they want with what is good for society. The current entitlement mentality is going to be very hard to deal with when the population triples and/or we have a California-style drought.

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by BornintheSprings

As more and more people feel the sting of restricted water more research will go into making desalinization cheaper. I find it hard to believe that the technology for desalinization will just stagnate in the face of millions needing a new water supply.

Even if technology solves the problem and the cost of desalinization drops, I don't see how it wil help out Denver. In case you haven't noticed, Denver is not situated near any ocean. It would cost a fortune to build the pipeline and pumping stations to get water to cities in the middle of the continent like Denver. Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead are down by more than half. Water is a finite substance and I am skeptical that "humanity" will come up with a way to create water out of nothing.

[BornintheSprings]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

Even if technology solves the problem and the cost of desalinization drops, I don't see how it wil help out Denver. In case you haven't noticed, Denver is not situated near any ocean. It would cost a fortune to build the pipeline and pumping stations to get water to cities in the middle of the continent like Denver. Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead are down by more than half. Water is a finite substance and I am skeptical that "humanity" will come up with a way to create water out of nothing.

If California doesn't need the Colorado river that would increase the available water for Colorado. Water is finite yes but the amount in the oceans is practically infinite compared to what we have access to now.

[Hschlick84]

Once desalinization technology becomes more efficient and cheaper to produce, expect more states along the coast to use them to counter the drought. There's roughly 332,519,000 cubic miles of water on the planet, and 352 quintillion gallons of ocean water, we will not deplete the oceans anytime soon.

How much water is in the ocean?

[BornintheSprings]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Once desalinization technology becomes more efficient and cheaper to produce, expect more states along the coast to use them to counter the drought. There's roughly 332,519,000 cubic miles of water on the planet, and 352 quintillion gallons of ocean water, we will not deplete the oceans anytime soon.

How much water is in the ocean?

Yep there are much more pressing issues I think than running out of water.

[guyatwork37]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

A Front Range the size of L.A. would blow way out beyond Fort Collins and Pueblo, probably stretching from Cheyenne to Trinidad to make max use of I-25....

I think you guys overestimate how big LA is and just how far it is from Fort Collins to Pueblo.

But as others have said, it's about perspective and what you're comfortable with. If you're from Montana, then yes Denver seems huge and overcrowded. If you're from LA, then Denver seems like a pretty small / calm metropolitan center. But if you don't like metropolitan centers and like more rural living, then yes, Denver probably isn't the place it once was. Same could be said for placed in LA, like Orange County.

Times change, places change, people adapt.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Once desalinization technology becomes more efficient and cheaper to produce, expect more states along the coast to use them to counter the drought. There's roughly 332,519,000 cubic miles of water on the planet, and 352 quintillion gallons of ocean water, we will not deplete the oceans anytime soon.

How much water is in the ocean?

No, but we could kill them.

The Impacts of Relying on Desalination for Water - Scientific American