September 17, 2014

Water plan seeks to address future supply gap

FORT COLLINS – A plan to address a future water supply shortfall in Northern Colorado calls for reuse of water among other recommendations, South Platte Basin Roundtable Chairman Sean Cronin told an audience Wednesday.

A group of state House and Senate lawmakers and audience members from throughout the region convened Wednesday at the Fort Collins Senior Center to discuss the Colorado Water Plan. State water officials and lawmakers have held seven other meetings on the Colorado Water Plan throughout the state to discuss the plan. The South Platte Basin Roundtable is developing Northern Colorado’s part of the plan.

The plan comes as the state faces an estimated 428,000 acre-foot domestic supply shortfall by 2050 due to demands from a growing population. The state has an annual supply of 736,000 acre feet for domestic use. An acre foot equals 326,000 gallons or enough to serve the needs of 2.5 households in a year.

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“Where is that (water) going to come from is the primary question,” Cronin said.

Agricultural use in the state totals 830,000 acre feet of irrigated water, Cronin said, but that will decline to an estimated 671,000 acre feet of irrigated water by 2050. The decline in water for irrigated farming will come from cities buying agricultural water.

Cronin said the plan recommends a number of steps, from reuse of water, use of water not known to be tied to any surface water systems known as “nontributary groundwater,” more efficient use of water supplies and taking more water from the Colorado River for use in the South Platte River Basin.

The plan has not come without controversy.

“It may come as a shock, but not everyone in this basin thinks alike,” Cronin said.

Save the Poudre, the Fort Collins-based environmental group, says the plan should emphasize water conservation, efficiency, recycling and water-sharing agreements with farmers instead of new reservoir projects.

The plan being developed by the South Platte Basin Roundtable is due to the state Water Conservation Board in April and will be included in the Colorado Water Plan.

FORT COLLINS – A plan to address a future water supply shortfall in Northern Colorado calls for reuse of water among other recommendations, South Platte Basin Roundtable Chairman Sean Cronin told an audience Wednesday.

A group of state House and Senate lawmakers and audience members from throughout the region convened Wednesday at the Fort Collins Senior Center to discuss the Colorado Water Plan. State water officials and lawmakers have held seven other meetings on the Colorado Water Plan throughout the state to discuss the plan. The South Platte Basin Roundtable is developing Northern Colorado’s part of the plan.

The plan comes as…

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