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Reports: Colorado will be crowded, thirsty in future

Posted by: Maven on August 9, 2009 at 7:15 am

From the Durango Herald:

“Ten million people will live in Colorado by 2050, putting strains on the water supply that can be overcome only by taking water from agriculture and building new pipelines from the Western Slope to the Front Range, such as the “Big Straw,” according to new government reports.

Reports from the Interbasin Compact Committee predict a doubling of the statewide population, with most of the growth happening on the Front Range. But the population of Southwest Colorado will grow at least that fast, to between 202,000 to 260,000, up from about 100,000 today.

All those new Coloradans will need water, and the reports predict a shortfall for cities and industry of 320,000 to 1.4 million acre-feet by 2050. The oil-shale industry, if it exists, could take half a million acre-feet per year. An acre-foot is enough for one or two suburban families for a year.

The numbers point to ominous conclusions for Colorado’s farm economy. The reports predict a continuing shift of water away from agriculture and toward cities. …”

Read more from the Durango Herald by clicking here.

August 9, 2009 · Filed Under Colorado River & the Southwest

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