Denver Water and seven of the nation's largest water utilities are joining forces to help battle climate change and protect water supplies. "Historically, water utilities operated on a strictly local basis," said Denver Water Manager Chips Barry. "But this change is going to affect everybody." The group first began meeting more than a year ago but now has organized formally to try to better guide federal research efforts on climate change and water supplies, among other things. "There is a fair amount of federal money that goes into climate-related research," Barry said. "We would like to direct that money so that it is more relevant and effective. There are about 20 worldwide climate models, but none of them operate on a scale small enough to tell you what is going to happen in a region." That kind of information is critical to planning for future water supplies. Researchers increasingly believe, for instance, that areas such as the Colorado River Basin will likely see more rain and less snow as well as warmer temperatures. 

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