What are trans-basin diversions, and what role do they play in Colorado water management?
A trans-basin diversion is a water project or management scheme that moves water from one river basin into another. Most of the major trans-basin diversions in Colorado move water from the Upper Colorado River basin on the West Slope to the South Platte basin on the East Slope. These are sometimes known as trans-mountain diversions. The largest trans-mountain diversion in Colorado is the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which moves over 200,000 acre-feet/year from the Granby area primarily to Weld and Larimer counties. Many municipalities plan future trans-basin diversions, although this may be unrealistic given environmental and area-of-origin concerns.
