Water shortage in Colorado

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A state engineer discovered this month that the snowpack in the South Platte River Basin had melted faster than expected, greatly reducing water supplies. Municipalities sued last week, worried they wouldn't have enough water for residents, and a judge said wells without plans to replace the water had to shut down.

A deal was struck to get the farmers some water by tapping into a reservoir, but that is tied up by the lawsuit, Ament said. The three cities suing are afraid that using reservoir water to complete the deal would end up with more water being drawn out of the South Platte River.
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