Colorado's water storage — through reservoirs and underground aquifers — has played a cornerstone role in sustaining livelihoods and development for more than a century. Spurred by a goal set in the Colorado Water Plan to develop 400,000 acre-feet of additional water storage by 2050, Coloradans still rely on dams of the past but are looking toward the next era of reservoirs: one where projects are collaborative to meet diverse needs, environmental protection receives careful consideration, and where water managers are agile in responding to changing conditions.
