Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the state of Colorado from 1900 to 2024.| www.macrotrends.net
Despite the addition of state statutes over the years to aid in the administration and management of Colorado’s ever-changing water landscape and users, four main guiding principles of the prior appropriation system remain (Jones & Cech, 2009):| waterknowledge.colostate.edu
The history of water in Colorado is a story of natural history, geography, people, place, politics, and climate—and the myriad ways in which these different facets interact and overlap. Much of the state’s water history has been shaped by population growth. In particular, a tenfold increase in residents from 1900 to 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.) was paralleled by a similar increase in competition and demand for the water in Colorado’s nine major watersheds and four major aquifers.| waterknowledge.colostate.edu
Use this interactive data visualization to learn about the importance of the Colorado River, the impacts of the current drought, and the ways in which the drought is being managed in the Basin.| labs.waterdata.usgs.gov
The Colorado Water Plan provides a framework for helping Colorado meet its water challenges through collaborative action around water development and water conservation. The Water Plan is a grassroots effort, and relies on the Colorado water community to identify and implement basin-specific and/or statewide water projects that provide multiple benefits to the state's diverse water users. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) creates and manages the Water Plan framework, and supports t...| cwcb.colorado.gov