Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River Basin is extremely important for all those who rely on its waters. This river basin stretches from Colorado, all the way down in to the Baja of Mexico. For years, its waters have been used to fuel the growth of many surrounding states. Water from the basin is pumped hundreds of mile to provide water to many people. Because of this, water rights are continually fought over from the Colorado River Basin. Stakeholders for the Colorado River Basin are large in numbers. The size of the basin causes numerous stakeholders to need water. The front range of Colorado relies heavily on the basin by pumping water through the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. Without that water, the growth of the Front Range would not…show more content… Miles of tunnels in Colorado alone allow for this lopsided demographic to exist. The water is even pumped to Las Vegas to help give them their water supply. The main stakeholders of the basin come from agriculture. They use the largest amount of water from the basin. Agriculture also uses the most amount of water across the globe, so it is not a surprise that the same occurs in the basin. Mexico also has an interest in the basin because most years that Colorado River does not make it to the ocean. It dries up before even making it there. This causes a loss of habitat for numerous organisms that use the area. It also does not provide with Mexico much water because by the time it makes it across the border there is not much left from the overuse by the states. Everyone believes that they are entitled to water from the basin, but that is not the case. Many people have their water rights because they were the first ones there many years ago. This causes problems because they might not need that much water, but since they are allotted that amount they will use it. Golf courses in Arizona utilize large amounts of water because they are in a…show more content… The plan for Colorado’s water is going to be impacted by climate change, and population growth. With climate change, the whole water regime could change. It is going to change the weather that occurs in the state which could lead to more water in some areas, while less in others. The taxing effect of population on water is already seen in Colorado because water is being pumped from one side of the state to the other. The population is expected to grow here in Colorado which means that more water will be needed. The downstream stakeholders already have water rights that cannot be lessened without legal action. The stakeholders also have no obligation to give up some of their water rights because people along the front range of Colorado need a green lawn. It is uncertain how the management of water will be perceived by each stakeholder, but this plan does a sufficient job at taking into consideration all aspects and angles that it