U.S. Water News Online
LAS VEGAS -- There may be a time where Colorado River water is bought and sold in a free market, an environmental panel has agreed.
With most states living within their current allotments right now, though, that time is still in the future, panelists said at the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association.
``There is no need for a market now,'' said Tom Hine, a representative of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Hine said that only California exceeds its allotment, and that so far Southern California has supplemented shortfalls with other water from the northern part of the state.
But he said in the next 25 years both California and Nevada will reach the point where they need more water.
Dave Getches, a professor of law at the University of Colorado specializing in natural resource law, said market transactions will be common place. He predicted California will purchase more water from the northern states.
Each state on the Colorado River Basin has an allotment of Colorado River water based on the 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act. California currently uses as much as a million acre feet more than its allotment but is looking to the northern part of the state to lessen its dependence on the Colorado River. Arizona and Nevada are both nearing their maximum allotments of 2.8 million and 300,000 acre feet respectively.
An acre foot is the amount of water used by an average family of five -- about 326,000 gallons
Because of environmental limitations placed on the Upper Basin states of Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, they are not expected to ever reach the full use of their allocations and will have few options other than selling the water.
The panel also agreed that the onset of environmental concerns not considered by previous generations of Americans are at the forefront of any decision about water use. The problems in dealing with environmental concerns are the conflicting demands of the public, they said.
``The same people that are demanding to have half-acre lots covered with Kentucky bluegrass are the same ones demanding to protect the environment for their weekend getaways,'' said Getches.
Considering the environment as a priority is a relatively young issue, and Hine said those on the Colorado River have done a good job in dealing with it.
``The goals in 1928 were to divide and distribute water to help the economies,'' said Hine. The environment adds another element to consider in managing the river.
An estimated 600 officials gathered in Las Vegas for the conference. Participants included agricultural interests, American Indian leaders and state officials and water managers from the seven Colorado River Basin states.
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