Welcome to the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD)
Scarcity of valuable resource forces Coloradans to be mindful of its use
Water is the life-blood of Colorado. Wayne N. Aspinall, a former House and Senate representative in Colorado, stated, “In the West, when you touch water, you touch everything.” Water is a valuable commodity and scarce resource within the borders of Colorado. As a headwater state, four major rivers — the Colorado, South Platte, Arkansas and Rio Grande — originate in Colorado. The competition for water flowing from these rivers is not only intense within our borders, but also downstream as many other states rely upon the flow from our rivers. Because water is limited, we must wisely utilize this resource for our rapidly expanding population and the production of agricultural crops and livestock. According to the Colorado State Demography Office, the population in Colorado is estimated to increase 60 percent by 2035. This steep increase in population will create an even greater demand for water in the state. The competition between municipalities and agricultural producers can only grow, and hence all sectors of our economy will be forced to produce more with less water.
