Amidst Fire and Drought in Colorado, How Much Water Is Going to Oil and Gas Drilling?

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Amidst Fire and Drought in Colorado, How Much Water Is Going to Oil and Gas Drilling?


In Colorado, drought conditions and the worst wildfire season in a decade have brought renewed focus on water budgeting in the state. A new report by Western Resource Advocates (WRA) highlights community concerns about the impact of fracking on Colorado’s water supply. The study found that water used in one year for new oil and gas development throughout the state could supply the entire population of Lakewood, the fourth-largest city in Colorado.

Though oil and gas companies often point out that water used for fracking is a small percentage of that used for agriculture and municipal purposes statewide, in certain counties it can be much more. According to the report, in Weld County, water used for new oil and gas drilling operations equaled between one-third and two-thirds of domestic and public water use in 2011.

Weld County and other area farmers now face extreme water shortages from ongoing drought conditions, requiring them to remove hundreds of acres from production. Nearby cities can’t help because many have already auctioned off all of the water they had allotted for sale to agricultural users and oil and gas companies. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/997336/amidst_fire_and_drought_in_colorado%2C_how_much_water_is_going_to_oil_and_gas_drilling/#paragraph3