Integrated and Sustainable Water Management Plan for a Growing City

The vast majority of the available water supplies in Colorado are still associated with irrigated agriculture, while the state’s population is growing at a very fast rate, creating an ever-increasing demand for municipal water supplies. Since irrigated agriculture represents a significant part of the state’s economy it is unwise to remove irrigation water from agricultural uses to serve growing municipal demands, i.e., the concept of “buy and dry” of irrigated lands. The Parker Water and Sanitation District (“PWSD”), a quasi-municipal water provider, and the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District (“LSPWCD”), serving a principally-agricultural area, have joined forces to develop a very innovative means to sustain historic agricultural irrigation practices while, at the same time, providing much-needed municipal water supplies to assure a sustainable water supply for the future of PWSD’s customers, as well as potentially other municipal water suppliers along Colorado’s Front Range. This water development plan may become the template for future water supply development to meet the needs of both major economic sectors in Colorado.