County faces 21st century

Water: Closely tied to agriculture, growth

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

In medieval times, seers looked into bodies of water to get a glimpse of the future. In modern times, the future may be determined by water itself --the reservoirs and rivers that keep agriculture going and communities growing. Colorado's high-desert, semi-arid environment and the current drought are teaching how valuable--and limited--the water supply is.

What will the future look like for water usage and storage in northern Colorado? How are water, agriculture and growth related? These are complicated issues that involve money, property rights and aesthetic values.

In the next half century, a good deal of Colorado's water could be moved from farms to cities if rapid growth continues. The current dry spell could prompt stronger conservation practices, and it could also provide the impetus for building more storage facilities, just as the 1930s' drought inspired the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. Will increased water storage help agriculture and protect residents from future droughts...or just ensure future growth?

At the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, officials are working on projects to increase both storage and efficiency. They also hope the drought experience will produce a stronger conservation ethic along the Front Range.

"It has awakened an understanding of the limited nature and precious commodity that water is," said Eric Wilkinson, general manager of the district. "I hope people will want to use it more wisely in the future."

Over the next decade, ownership of water will undoubtedly continue to move from agriculture to municipalities, Wilkinson noted. He is concerned about this movement, as well as the question of how to keep water in northern Colorado. Cities like Denver will have ever-increasing water demands, Wilkinson noted, so "the region has to step up to the plate to keep water here."

Environmental organizations are also looking at the implications of water decisions. The Poudre Canyon Group of the Sierra Club shares NCWCD's concerns about keeping water in agriculture and enhancing a conservation ethic. The jury is still out, however, about the desirability of more storage, since it would likely ensure more growth. "Which is the chicken, and which is the egg?" asked Ramon Ajero, chair of the local group.

More storage planned

The next 10 years could see construction begin on one or more large water projects, according to NCWCD spokesperson Brian Werner. The district hopes to start construction on the Windy Gap Firming Project in 2006 or 2007. This storage project will collect water in years of excess runoff, holding it for drier years. Project partners include Platte River Power and the cities of Greeley and Loveland.

The Northern Integrated Supply Project is an ambitious collection of projects currently being studied, and some could be under construction by 2013. Fourteen water users have signed on to participate. NISP possibilities include a new reservoir north of Ted's Place, called Glade Reservoir; expansion of Seaman Reservoir; or building a dam on the main stem of the Poudre River. Other possible NISP projects are water sharing, dredging of existing facilities and conservation measures.

Werner sees additional storage as one way to protect Colorado's agricultural economy. "It reduces some of that pressure," he said, adding that water from new projects would be less expensive than C-BT water.

Agriculture affected

Both NCWCD and the Sierra Club are concerned about how growth will affect the future of farming, since growth pulls so much water from agriculture.

Werner said people can't count on the finite supply of water to limit growth; rather, they will have to limit growth with land use policies. The agricultural water in eastern Colorado could potentially be used in population growth areas, he said, although he hopes that won't happen. "People like the greenness of the agricultural land," he said. "If all the ag water is converted to municipal use, it will look like Tucson. You can't have both."

Ajero echoed those sentiments. "We hold agriculture as being a valuable component of life on the Front Range," he said.

Discussion wanted

Ajero would like to see more public discussion about water issues, including the building of new storage facilities.

"What sort of growth do we want to facilitate?" Ajero asked. "If we commit hundreds of millions of dollars to new water storage and incur a huge amount of debt, then of course we must grow to pay for this infrastructure we have created." If new storage is not built, he maintained, "We might think about the availability of water before we issue building permits and water taps."

He added that existing storage is sufficient for the current population, given reasonable conservation efforts.

Decisions made about water and water storage issues, Ajero said, will impact both growth and agriculture and, consequently, the quality of life in this area. "We might choose not to grow," he said. "I'm not willing to blindly assume that growth is inevitable, and I'm hoping we will begin to question the growth mantra."

Ajero also favors conservation measures such as water metering, tiered water rates and helping farmers make their water delivery systems more efficient. However, even water conservation can have unintended consequences, Ajero said. "Why should we conserve more if the city just uses our water to issue more water taps and keep on growing?" he asked.

Discussions about conservation and water storage will not go away, even if the drought ends this year. No matter what projects and policies arise in the next couple of decades, one thing is sure: water is one of the most important factors influencing the future of the Front Range.