Colorado farms planning for dry spell losing auction bids for water to fracking projects

Colorado farms planning for dry spell losing auction bids for water to fracking projects by Bruce Finley, April 1, 2012, The Denver Post
Front Range farmers bidding for water to grow crops through the coming hot summer and possible drought face new competition from oil and gas drillers. At Colorado’s premier auction for unallocated water this spring, companies that provide water for hydraulic fracturing at well sites were top bidders on supplies once claimed exclusively by farmers. The prospect of tussling with energy industry giants over water leaves some farmers and environmentalists uneasy. “What impact to our environment and our agricultural heritage are Coloradans willing to stomach for drilling and fracking?”