Lower Arkansas Valley Water District Reports $142 Million in Annual Economic Losses From Irrigated Farmland Dry-Up

Description: A new Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District StoryMap estimates $142 million in annual economic losses from irrigated farmland dry-up in southeast Colorado...

Devastating Economic and Community Impacts of Buy-and-Dry in Colorado's Lower Arkansas Valley Documented in New Interactive Website

(ROCKY FORD, CO – Nov. 4, 2026) – The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District (Lower Ark District) today announced the release of a first-of-its-kind interactive website, When Water Leaves: The Story of Buy-and-Dry in Colorado's Lower Arkansas Valley, which examines the lasting consequences of agricultural water exports on the Lower Arkansas Valley's farmland, economy, and communities.  The website, known as a StoryMap, is now available to the public at whenwaterleaves.com.

The StoryMap traces the history of the Lower Arkansas Valley, exploring how communities took root and prospered as irrigation canals brought Arkansas River water to farmland. Through historical documentation, visual storytelling, and economic analysis, it then shows how decades of water exports to Front Range cities, including Colorado Springs and Aurora, have fundamentally changed the Valley and continue to affect its agricultural economy and communities today.

More than 100,000 acres of historically irrigated farmland have been dried up across the five-county Lower Arkansas Valley. This includes over 40,000 acres permanently dried up due to water exports to cities on the Front Range. Economic modeling commissioned by the Lower Ark District estimates that the overall loss of irrigated agriculture has reduced the region's economic output by approximately $142 million every year, including $52 million annually in Crowley County alone.

The StoryMap also identifies approximately 40,000 additional irrigated acres at high risk of permanent dry-up. If those lands are dried up, the economic modeling estimates that the lost economic output in the Lower Arkansas Valley could increase to $184 million each year.

The economic findings in the StoryMap were derived from analyses performed using the Lower Arkansas Valley (LAV) Explorer, developed for and licensed to the Lower Ark District by The Freshwater Trust using its patented BasinScout® modeling platform. The LAV Explorer quantifies the direct and secondary economic impacts of irrigated farmland dry-up and estimates the potential impacts of future water transfers.

For more information on data sources and methods, visit the StoryMap's resources page.

The findings are intended to inform decision-making by elected officials, policymakers, and the public as Colorado considers the long-term implications of agricultural-to-municipal water exports. The StoryMap also calls for new policies, programs, and trusted partnerships that make it economically viable for farmers to continue farming and keep their water in the Valley.

"When irrigation water is permanently exported from the Lower Arkansas Valley to far-away cities, Colorado isn't simply moving water. It's also moving economic opportunity away from the communities that have long depended on it. For rural communities like ours, far from major population centers, that lost economic activity has proven extremely difficult to replace," said Jack Goble, General Manager, Lower Ark District. "One community should not be sacrificed for the growth of another. Colorado should not grow its cities by drying up the agricultural communities that feed them. The future of the Lower Arkansas Valley will not be determined by chance. It will be determined by the choices we make."

The StoryMap was introduced at the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Summit on Nov. 4 in Rocky Ford, which drew nearly 200 attendees from across southeast Colorado and the state. The Summit brought together agricultural producers, business and community leaders, state legislators and other elected officials, and residents. The event provided an opportunity for attendees to better understand the consequences of agricultural water exports and discuss the region's water future.

"Understanding the impacts of water exports is imperative to statewide planning and policymaking, especially for communities adversely impacted by these actions. The ability to assess economic impact allows communities to make informed, data-driven decisions," stated Scott Campbell, Senior Strategic Consultant for the Upper Colorado River Basin, The Freshwater Trust. "It is only by reflecting on the actions of the past can we better shape our futures."

To view the StoryMap, visit: whenwaterleaves.com

For a 15-minute tutorial on the StoryMap, please contact Kristie Nackord, Lower Ark District, at knackord@lowerark.com or call (707) 799-2510.\

About the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District
Since 2002, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District has served Pueblo, Crowley, Otero, Bent, and Prowers counties with a focus on safeguarding water resources in the Lower Arkansas Valley for current and future generations. www.lowerark.com

About The Freshwater Trust
The Freshwater Trust is a non-governmental organization that works to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems. Engaging with cities, industry, and agriculture, The Freshwater Trust uses advanced technologies to produce the insights people need to solve problems at the intersection of water and the economy. The Freshwater Trust uses its technology to guide policy and inform watershed funding and finance decisions—helping communities build the solutions they need to solve complex water problems. www.thefreshwatertrust.org

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2026 Lower Arkansas Valley Water Summit in Rocky Ford Highlights Future of Water, Agriculture and Regional Communities
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