Colorado reflects the best
of the West in economic dynamism, social and educational opportunities
and quality of lifestyle, to name but a few of our strengths.
Our state also faces many of the challenges confronting the West, none
of which is greater than the need to secure a stable supply of waterfor
the coming decades.
That's why it is uniquely fitting that Denver will host a kickoff conference
to talk about the West's critical water issues. Today's conference, "Water
2025: Preventing Crises and Conflicts in the West," will be the first
of nine consulting meetings around the West aimed at expanding the dialog
on how to prevent chronic water supply problems facing many communities.
The goals of the Water 2025 conferences are to identify the basins facing
the greatest potential risk in the next 25 years, evaluate the most effective
and attainableways of addressing water supply challenges, and recommend
realistic, cooperative planning approaches and tools that have the most
likelihood of success.
Because of growing populations and heightened competition for limited
water supplies, the chronic water shortages in many of the region's watersheds
are likely to worsen. Inevitably, historic drought cycles such
as the one we are in now will intensify these problems, resulting
in greater competition and increasing the potential for conflict.
Recent water shortages in the Klamath and Middle Rio Grande River Basins
where farmers, communities, American Indians, and fish and wildlife
were all affected underscore the consequences of not planning for
the long term. Crisis management is not an effective solution for addressing
these long-term, systematic problems. The drought is only a warning of
the serious consequences on the horizon if we fail to address these issues
now.
Water 2025 sets out a blueprint to work with and support Western governors
and local communities as they carry out pragmatic, community-based solutions
developed through these consultations. The proposal recognizes that states,
tribes, local governments, and the affected communities should have a
leading role in this effort.
The Department of Interior can focus scarce federal dollars and technical
resources where they provide the greatest benefits. President Bush's fiscal
year 2004 budget calls for an initial investment of $11 million.
Water 2025 emphasizes solving problems through mutual understanding and
agreements instead of looking for ways to assert an increased federal
presence. The proposal also is a commitment to action to using
tools tailored to meet the unique needs of a community.
Water conservation, improved management of water supplies, and market-based
voluntary transfers by willing sellers and buyers are some of the mechanisms
that have proven to be most effective.
Significant amounts of water can be conserved by modernizing waterstorage
and delivery systems. The Department of Interior can work with state and
local partners to improve water management with new technology, such as
advanced canal-lining materials, and automated pumping and canal controls.
Targeted technical and financial assistance from Interior and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture can help farmers, ranchers, and municipalities
make more efficient use of their irrigation and drinking water, stretching
local supplies even further. Water 2025 also can spur research in critically
needed areas, such as reducing the cost of desalinating seawater and treating
brackish or impaired groundwater.
The proposal encourages voluntary water transfers through water banks
or other water marketing tools. These mechanisms include agreements that
allow agricultural producers to rent or lease their water to cities and
towns or other users in times of drought, and still have the ability to
farm in most years.
Water markets allow the orderly and timely transfer of critically needed
water between competing users, based on a recognition of the validity
of existing rights. They help to avoid or reduce the conflict, crisis
and heartache that results when water uses are changed through regulatory
or other means. Water markets also can help meet the needs of endangered
fish and wildlife.
With American ingenuity, we can create a synergy that makes the "whole"
of this effort greater than the sum of its parts. By getting ahead of
the crisis/conflict curve and improving the productivity and efficiency
of western water supply systems, we can help to meet the water needs of
the people and the environment of the West. The future of our region demands
that we succeed.
Gale A. Norton Is Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
More information on the Denver
conference and the Water 2025 proposal is on-line at www.doi.gov/water2025.
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