Research/Outreach Team to Develop Rural-Urban Water Model
by Tom Holtzer, Department Head and Professor, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management

Colorado State University is partnering with the Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) in a research and outreach project aimed at developing ways to sustain irrigated agriculture while meeting the increasing water demands of urban areas. Results from this three-year, $1 million-plus project are expected to provide crucial information that can be used in the development of water policy and ways to establish rural-urban water partnerships. The study will develop and investigate cropping system options to determine how much water can be saved. The water saved can be made available for possible urban use, while at the same time sustaining viable economic returns to the agricultural and rural communities.

A 14-member multidisciplinary research and outreach team will investigate cropping system options such as rotational cropping (fallowing of a portion of the land); limited irrigation; using drought-tolerant crops and crop varieties; and adoption of optimal irrigation technology and alternative farming practices that reduce demand for water. All three of these methods would make water available for urban use. Various strategies will be characterized and compared from the perspectives of farm profitability and economic activity in the agricultural and rural sectors, the amount of water made available for other uses, and practical feasibility.
Funding from PWSD includes more than $850,000 plus the use of more than $200,000 in equipment for the research. Experiments will be carried out on land owned by PWSD near Iliff, Colo., at CSU’s Agricultural Research Development and Education Center north of Fort Collins, and in on-farm demonstrations performed by local farmers near Iliff. The combination of small scale experimental studies, larger scale controlled experiments, and on farm demonstrations, are designed to more quickly and efficiently provide robust results. Project results will be made available during demonstration field days, and as part of the Colorado State University Extension fact sheets, technical reports and this newsletter.

Tom Holtzer: Thomas.Holtzer@colostate.edu
Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management