The Water Information Program

Is the state near the end of its legally allotted water from interstate treaties? Will oil companies claim most of Colorado's remaining water under their decades-old water rights? Will climate change cause drier years than we experienced in the 20th century? Should the Front Range be allowed to support its population growth with another pipeline from the Western Slope? The answer to these questions will determine what kind of a society Colorado will be. There's a history for this sort of long-term thinking, right here in Southwest Colorado. For two years now, hundreds of Coloradans have been working on committees set up under the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act, passed in 2005 at the urging of Russ George, former director of the Department of Natural Resources. Their goal is to find long-term ways for Coloradans to use their water. With the state nearing the end of its legally available water under the 1922 compact, the people on these committees want to use what's left without touching off a Western Slope-Front Range water war.

To view the full article, visit the Cortez Journal. For a copy of the original article contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.