Tuesday, May 24, 2011

More Agricultural Water Gets Highjacked for Urban Development. This time for the Growth of Colorado Springs.

File:Arkansasrivermap.jpg
photo: wikipedia

Colorado has announced its biggest water project in many decades. Colorado Springs growth is being limited by its water supply, so it has begun a piped in project from an Arkansas River reservoir to its south, located at Pueblo.

Colorado Springs metro area population now stands at 647,758 which is a 21% increase since 2000. This project will increase its water supply by one-third. Colorado, which grew 15% during the past decade, now has 5 million people living on its front range. That's 80% of its population, but the front range only has 20% of the state's water.

Ranchers and farmers in SE Colorado and Kansas currently using this water allocation amounting to approximately 100 million gallons per day are upset, but helpless.

Large amounts of electricity will be required to pump the water 1,600 feet uphill 62-miles through a 66 inch diameter pipeline to new reservoirs.

Find out more at the Denver Post...