There are lots and lots of important things in the political world. It matters what our leaders do. We listen to candidates to hear what they would do. Government creeps along, always inefficiently (as the Founders intended, but that story must await a future column) and policies come and go. We hear various leaders and wannabes talking about the important issues of the day. You may have attended some political dinner somewhere, where the speaker talks about the future of Colorado, while all the time, something that was almost certainly sitting on your table as you listened turns out to be far more important than the issues being discussed.

That thing being your glass of water.

This week we saw an excellent article in Colorado Politics discussing current and more importantly, future water concerns. It’s very informative and I’ll wait here while you read it.

All set? Great. As you see from the article, the group of states that deal with water from the Colorado River form two groups. The upper-basin states, including Colorado, and the lower-basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California. As you recall from the article, we’ve been in tough spots before, most notably the early 2000s, and there is worry that such drought conditions could easily return, given the impacts of climate change on our ecosystem. A significant part of the problem tends to be that where you stand on the water issue tends to depend on where you live. The upper-basin states are not looking at any significant reduction in water availability from any negotiations now ongoing, but the lower basin states can’t say the same.

I’ve long been involved in environmental things, usually from the perspective of environmental security issues – that is, how environmental factors impact national security. Make no mistake – water is truly a national security concern for the West and for the entire United States. While water quality is always a concern, the simple scarcity of water in the American West could well be far more important in terms of the direct impacts on Coloradan’s lives. I remember when Colorado Springs really started to grow to the East, in a high prairie area. I recall wondering where the water would come from for those folks and those that followed. We are almost certainly near the tipping point on the Ogallala Aquifer, into which we’ve drilled countless times to extract well water. Water is likely to be a critically short resource in our common futures.

So, what is being done about it? The article discusses efforts to craft an up-to-date and comprehensive drought contingency plan (DCP) for the dry times as well as planning for continued growth in consumption. The picture that accompanies the article noted above is an important one, because it clearly shows, in the background of the people attending the conference, the so-called “bathtub ring” around Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nevada, clearly showing where the water level once was, and dramatically pointing out the degree to which that water resource is being depleted.

While agriculture consumes the lion’s share of the Colorado River’s water – roughly 80% goes to irrigate 4 million acres, which in turn provides roughly 15% of the nation’s crops and 13% of its livestock production – the more traditional water use by the good people of the American West can be an area of significant savings. But such savings requires not so much of a sacrifice but rather a rethinking of our non-ag water usage. 

We need to rethink, for example, what our front and back yards should be. Growing up in Michigan, we had thick, green grass in both places because, well, it rains there. We now in the more arid West must think beyond the Kentucky Blue Grass that is so lovely but so water-intensive. And it is doable!

Not more than a few miles from my home is the city of Colorado Springs xeriscaping demonstration garden, where they will help folks learn about lovely ways to fix up their property without needing much (if any) additional watering. We also need to move past old thinking on water, such as my own homeowners association, that will send you nasty notes if you let your grass get at all dried out. 

So, should Colorado join in additional compacts to aid in the proper management of water and especially to formulate plans for water crisis events? Yes. But we the people must also begin taking steps to more fully acknowledge the reality of where we live. Colorado is a wonderful place to live, but it will be even better if we can get a firm handle on our water needs. Together, with proper state, regional and national planning, we can have a future that includes growth and enough water for all. It won’t be easy, and we need to get started soon. The DCP is a good next step, and I urge you to support it.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.