Frackers Outbid Farmers for Water in Colorado Drought

Sections of drilling pipe and a drilling rig on a six-well
pad in the Piceance Basin of Colorado.
(Photo: Ecopolitologist)

Monday, 16 April 2012 09:48 By Rebecca Leber, ThinkProgress | Report 

Colorado is facing drought not seen since 2002, following the fourth-warmest and third-least-snowy winter in US history. Colorado State University scientists report that 98 percent of the state is facing these drought conditions.

The drought comes after a record-breaking warm winter that left very low "snowpack levels" in water basins. "Even though the reservoir levels are still strong and northeast Colorado soil moisture is still pretty good, we just don't usually start out quite this warm and dry at this time — so this is very concerning," CSU climatologist Nolan Doesken said. "In 2002, things didn't seem that bad at the end of March, as March had been quite cool, with some snow."

Colorado's hydrofracking boom — a technology that heavily relies on water — only adds additional strain as farmers and drillers bid for a scarce resource:  READ MORE