Researchers at the university-based Colorado Climate Center say, at minimum, it's reasonable to expect the grass may soon be greener elsewhere. In short, he says we've been spoiled. State emergency planners say the study is more evidence Colorado needs to be ready for some low-water years. Water shortages can affect more than our lawns.
Farmers lose crops, the ski industry suffers and topsoil losses mount as wind whips up dry dirt.
The danger of forest fire spirals upward. Groundwater pumping increases, further draining already stressed aquifers. In an extreme case, the state may have to step in to reorder water rights, diverting water from farms to cities, for instance. Concern about drought is nothing new. Many water planners, including officials in Colorado Springs, say they have backup supplies, mainly large reservoirs of water, to get them through even a prolonged drought.