Water sufficient for more than 1 million homes on the Front Range could be lost, and thousands of acres of farmland on the eastern plains and Western Slope could go dry if the state can’t supply enough water from the drought-stricken Colorado River to downstream states as it is legally required to do, according to a new study. In the next 25 years, if the state does nothing to set more water aside in Lake Powell, the Front Range could lose up to 97% of its Colorado River water. All but two of the state’s eight major river basins, under that same “do nothing” scenario, also face dramatic water cutbacks. If Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico increase their water use by as little as 11.5%, as predictions indicate they will by 2037, the risk of a legal crisis spurring such cutbacks on the river doubles, rising from 39% to 78%, under one scenario, and 46% to 92% under another. To view the full article visit the Gazette.
