Thursday, Mar 10 2011 5:38PM
Officials of Colorado's Arkansas Basin say the area needs more water to support local agriculture.
Colorado's Arkansas Basin Roundtable says that obtaining water for agriculture and the environment, and then finding a location to store it, is its top priority for the next two months, reported the Pueblo Chieftain.
As part of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative, every local roundtable is working with the Colorado Water Conservation board on a report of its activities since 2005. The Arkansas Basin Roundtable is one of the few that has already completed its report, according to the newspaper.
After evaluating its water system services, the roundtable determined more water is necessary for nonconsumptive uses, such as habitat preservation and supporting agriculture in the Arkansas Valley, reported the source. In a meeting of the group, Reeves Brown, a rancher and member of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Board, said they need to ensure farmers have enough water to sustain their crops.
"Let's see how much water we need for a viable farm economy," he suggested.
The paper said the group also discussed the region's need for improved infrastructure facilities, such as a pipeline, to store water supplies.
Many other rural communities in the West are also experiencing water shortages. The Yakima Herald reports that conservation groups in Washington state recently agreed to support a new water storage plan in the Yakima Valley that will help preserve and restore 71,000 acres of land.