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Water in Colorado, 1/1/10
Overview:
As population growth, climate change, urbanization and other factors put increasing pressure on water resources, water may become the most contested natural resource of the 21st century. Competing water interests have influenced Colorado’s history for over 100 years, and will impact the future of our state. The legal right to divert and use water in Colorado has been debated, legislated and litigated since before Colorado achieved statehood in 1876. Join Active Minds as we seek to understand our water history, the current challenges, and what the future holds for our use of this precious resource.
Key Lecture Points:
• Water is a scarce resource in semi-arid Colorado and experts predict a shortage in the state if the current rate of growth continues.
• In Colorado, water is managed through a complex system of water rights, laws, treaties, and management agencies plus an infrastructure of storage and distribution facilities. This presents challenges to implementing policy shifts that affect how we use and conserve water, particularly as the state’s population grows and development projects expand.
• Colorado’s water policy must balance agricultural, energy, recreational and environmental needs. Managing, conserving, and distributing water will require careful navigation of current water rights and policy while forging better practices at the local level.
• How we manage, conserve, and distribute water will be a policy challenge for Colorado in the future.
Exploration Questions:
• What measures do you think Colorado should take to manage growth?
• Describe how water policy impacts other areas of the economy (agriculture, energy, tourism, etc)?
• How can we integrate water policy with other related policy issues such as development?
• What water uses do you think Colorado should emphasize or give priority to in the future?
Reflective Questions:
• What measures can you take as an individual to conserve water?
• Why has water played such an important role in Colorado’s history?
More to Explore:
• 100 ways to conserve water: www.wateruseitwisely.com
• Colorado Water News: www.crwcd.org
Books For Further Reading:
• Blomquist, William, Edella Schlager, and Tanya Heikkila. Common Waters, Diverging Streams: Linking Institutions and Water Management in Arizona, California, and Colorado,2004. 210 pages. Discusses the use of conjunctive management to manage water resources. Compares the results of this water management technique in the three states. Click here to order.
• Jones, P. Andrew, Cech, Tom. Colorado Water Law for Non-Lawyers (paperback). 2009. 276 pages. Describes Colorado water laws and the state’s current allocation and management system. Also explains the current issues impacting the state’s water supply. Click here to order.
• Nichols, John. The Milagro Beanfield War (paperback) Henry Holt & Co. 2000. 456 pages. John Mondragon illegally taps into an irrigation channel and sets in motion a confrontation between the town’s farmers and sheep ranchers with the power brokers of the state capital. Click here to order.
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