Wells: Water exports damage regional economy

LOVELAND — Water leaving the Northern Colorado basin has significant impacts on the economy of the region.

That’s the assessment of Pat Wells, the water strategy specialist for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, who spoke at the organization’s Fall Water Symposium.

“Water is the fuel for our economy. As we lose water from the region, we lose the opportunity that the water would otherwise provide,” he said.

Loss of water translates into loss of local amenities — “rural communities start to struggle, and the rural way of life is lost,” he said.

Increasingly, the region will face threats from other areas of the…