"The question should be how do we keep Aurora wet, but (also) how do we keep La Junta viable," commented former state engineer Jeris Danielson, who represents the Arkansas Basin Roundtable on the new Interbasin Compact Committee. It sums up the challenge facing the committee, which held its first meeting in Denver Friday.

The 27-member committee was created to set the stage for interbasin cooperation over state water problems. My sense, from remarks of agricultural and western slope basin representatives over the past few years, is those folks are resigned that Front Range cities will end up with their water. It's just a matter of what they get in return. I encourage them to stand much more firmly against damming their rivers, diminishing their flows, and degrading the quality of the water that does flow downstream to them.

Let's look down the road at what will happen to Colorado's population if we continue current policies, in denial of the limits of our natural resources. Our growth plans are so huge the only way to meet those water needs would be to devastate agriculture, recreation and wildlife. Even then, we'll find we cannot suck enough water out of Colorado's mountains to provide for that population. Any doubt?

Remember this year: 2121. None of us will live to see that year, but our grandchildren will. It's not that far off. Yet that will be the year, if we continue at recent growth rates, that today's entire statewide population will reside in Colorado Springs. That's right - today's state population of 4.6 million, all packed neatly like sardines into El Paso County. And the state? Just move that decimal point; instead of today's 4.6 million, it will have 46 million!

If anyone thinks they have the conservation program to stretch our water resource to sustain 46 million in Colorado, raise your hand. How about the money, let alone the plan, for a transportation system? Clean air? What do you think I-70 will look like? I-25? The cost of these impacts to our citizens and state will more than wipe out any prosperity we might hope to achieve by going down this road. The sooner we take off the rose-colored glasses and come to terms with the fact we cannot base our state and local economies on continued expansion, the better our future will look.

We do have a choice in the matter. We can continue to pursue public policies that promote and depend on migration of additional population into our state in pursuit of an illusion of prosperity (resigned that we have no choice but to destroy Colorado in the interest of steady employment). Or we can shift to more enlightened, sustainable economic development strategies - strategies that offer reality-based optimism that we can sustain our economy and Colorado can still be a nice place to live for our grandchildren in 2121. At Friday's meeting, Department of Natural Resources Director Russ George got it right. He said, "We're at a point where we may be too many for the water Mother Nature provides." Duh!

Dave Gardner
Founder & Chair, SaveTheSprings

A sustainable approach to our environment & quality of life - for current & future generations
Visit us at www.savethesprings.org