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Water coalition wants to guide future legislation
When drafting bills this winter to deal with ongoing water shortages and drought, Colorado lawmakers must avoid potentially irreversible economic, social and environmental consequences in all corners of the state.
By By: Christine McManus
When drafting bills this winter to deal with ongoing water shortages and drought, Colorado lawmakers must avoid potentially irreversible economic, social and environmental consequences in all corners of the state.
That's what people in 90 percent of Colorado counties are saying to state legislators who will try to tackle water shortages and the drought. The legislative session is scheduled to begin in January.
Balancing agricultural and residential water needs, as the Front Range and other cities grow, has been an ongoing battle in Colorado. Historically the farmland on the Western Slope of Colorado's Rocky Mountains has had the priority of water supplies for agricultural use. For decades, Denver Water has invested in properties for water rights in the mountains.
Only the six Denver metro area counties are not part of Colorado 58, a new alliance for water in the 58 rural counties out of the state's 64 counties.
A Colorado 58 press release to media and water organizations encouraged counties to unite and collaborate on water issues, instead of pitting residential versus agricultural interests. The principles also encourage:
q state assistance in regional or local water planning, when requested, with respect for property and water rights;
q consideration of existing water supplies before transporting water across the state;
q pursuit of additional water storage through rehabilitation/expansion of existing and new storage developments;
q a market-based approach to water management; allowing municipalities and industry only to lease agriclutural water, but only with the maintenance of the tax base and proper land stewardship;
q balance of statewide, water-use among consumers, recreational flows, hydroelectric needs and environmental needs,
q minimization of the adverse economic, environmental and social impacts of any new water projects; with input from the affected communities regarding the mitigation efforts;
q solutions that benefit the area the water comes from and the area where the water goes;
q water conservation measures that do not injure other water rights; and
q Ongoing education for Coloradans about water conservation, management and planning issues.
Colorado 58's new principles are in line with Douglas County water providers' collaborative goals, said Pat Mulhern, manager of the South Metro Water Supply. Water districts in the south metro area are looking for ways to supplement nonrenewable water supplies from underground wells. Less than one year ago, water providers in the south metro area allied to bid on water rights sold by the City of Thornton. Aurora got the bid.
The main goal of the South Metro Water Supply Study is to share its members' underground supplies with others during dry years, when renewable stream sources are low. In wet years, the extra sources of renewable water would theoretically be shared during the nonrenewable-water-supplied years. Another goal of the south metro water coalition, one which Highlands Ranch has started practicing, is to recharge underground water supplies during wet years.
The South Metro Water Supply Study Board has been working with Denver Water and Western Slope interests for several years.
"Every corner of our state is dependent on Colorado's finite water supply and will be impacted by the decisions which our state's elected and appointed leaders make regarding Colorado's future water management options," said Dennis Murphy, chair of Pueblo-based Action 22, one of the three organizations that combined to form Colorado 58. "One community's 'solutions' cannot create another community's problems."
Denver Water has taken no position on the principles.
The principles are meant to guide statewide approaches to water use, storage and planning - in and out of the state capitol.
Colorado 58 is made up of Action 22 from southern Colorado based in Pueblo, Club 20 from western Colorado based in Grand Junction and Progressive 15 of northeastern Colorado based in Seibert. A collaborative statewide approach would benefit Colorado in regional water negotiations in states where water flows from the Rocky Mountains, water officials said.
"We have learned from the past that the long-term solutions to our water supply needs are not as easy as simply transferring water from one end of the state to the other," said Wade Haerle, Club 20 water committee chair. "In order to create the best solutions to our future water challenges, we must think outside the box and not just outside the basin. We must work together with affected communities to develop consensus solutions to benefit this and future generations."
That's what people in 90 percent of Colorado counties are saying to state legislators who will try to tackle water shortages and the drought. The legislative session is scheduled to begin in January.
Balancing agricultural and residential water needs, as the Front Range and other cities grow, has been an ongoing battle in Colorado. Historically the farmland on the Western Slope of Colorado's Rocky Mountains has had the priority of water supplies for agricultural use. For decades, Denver Water has invested in properties for water rights in the mountains.
Only the six Denver metro area counties are not part of Colorado 58, a new alliance for water in the 58 rural counties out of the state's 64 counties.
A Colorado 58 press release to media and water organizations encouraged counties to unite and collaborate on water issues, instead of pitting residential versus agricultural interests. The principles also encourage:
q state assistance in regional or local water planning, when requested, with respect for property and water rights;
q consideration of existing water supplies before transporting water across the state;
q pursuit of additional water storage through rehabilitation/expansion of existing and new storage developments;
q a market-based approach to water management; allowing municipalities and industry only to lease agriclutural water, but only with the maintenance of the tax base and proper land stewardship;
q balance of statewide, water-use among consumers, recreational flows, hydroelectric needs and environmental needs,
q minimization of the adverse economic, environmental and social impacts of any new water projects; with input from the affected communities regarding the mitigation efforts;
q solutions that benefit the area the water comes from and the area where the water goes;
q water conservation measures that do not injure other water rights; and
q Ongoing education for Coloradans about water conservation, management and planning issues.
Colorado 58's new principles are in line with Douglas County water providers' collaborative goals, said Pat Mulhern, manager of the South Metro Water Supply. Water districts in the south metro area are looking for ways to supplement nonrenewable water supplies from underground wells. Less than one year ago, water providers in the south metro area allied to bid on water rights sold by the City of Thornton. Aurora got the bid.
The main goal of the South Metro Water Supply Study is to share its members' underground supplies with others during dry years, when renewable stream sources are low. In wet years, the extra sources of renewable water would theoretically be shared during the nonrenewable-water-supplied years. Another goal of the south metro water coalition, one which Highlands Ranch has started practicing, is to recharge underground water supplies during wet years.
The South Metro Water Supply Study Board has been working with Denver Water and Western Slope interests for several years.
"Every corner of our state is dependent on Colorado's finite water supply and will be impacted by the decisions which our state's elected and appointed leaders make regarding Colorado's future water management options," said Dennis Murphy, chair of Pueblo-based Action 22, one of the three organizations that combined to form Colorado 58. "One community's 'solutions' cannot create another community's problems."
Denver Water has taken no position on the principles.
The principles are meant to guide statewide approaches to water use, storage and planning - in and out of the state capitol.
Colorado 58 is made up of Action 22 from southern Colorado based in Pueblo, Club 20 from western Colorado based in Grand Junction and Progressive 15 of northeastern Colorado based in Seibert. A collaborative statewide approach would benefit Colorado in regional water negotiations in states where water flows from the Rocky Mountains, water officials said.
"We have learned from the past that the long-term solutions to our water supply needs are not as easy as simply transferring water from one end of the state to the other," said Wade Haerle, Club 20 water committee chair. "In order to create the best solutions to our future water challenges, we must think outside the box and not just outside the basin. We must work together with affected communities to develop consensus solutions to benefit this and future generations."
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