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.

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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 state or nation. High prices for water in Northern Colorado are not an inhibitor, he said, because other areas consider the high rates in the region to be a bargain.

As public officials become increasingly conservative in how they address future water needs, because they recognize that water resources in the West are diminishing, they seek out new future sources, well before they need to use them. 

Thornton decided to go after Northern Colorado water decades ago when it bought farms in the region. Aurora recently purchased ag land, along with its water, near Greeley.

“Ag land becomes the path of least resistance,” he said. “We’re seeing ‘buy it and figure it out later.’”

Wells said that solutions exist over a wide range, from education and communication strategies to more legalistic and regulatory means such as land use regulation, legislation and becoming more active in water court.

In the middle of the range would be regional collaboration, regional water projects, conservation easements, water and land trusts and other tactics.

“Political will becomes more difficult as the regulatory strategies become more aggressive,” he said.

Essential for the region, Wells said, will be to:

• Maintain the Colorado-Big Thompson water as a supplemental supply.
• Keep return flows from C-BT in the district.
• Protect Glade and South Platte water rights. 
• Participate in local, regional and statewide discussions to bring awareness to water transfer considerations.