Colorado Potato Growers Face Higher Pumping Fees as Water Table Drops

Groundwater in the San Luis Valley fell by nearly 72,000 acre-feet over the past year, cutting into the irrigation supply that Colorado potato growers depend on to run their operations.

Colorado is considering a sharp increase in what growers pay to pump that water. Current fees run $150 per acre-foot, and a proposal before the state would raise the rate to as much as $500 per acre-foot.

Growers in the valley have said the higher pumping costs could put their operations at risk. The San Luis Valley ranks among the state's major potato-producing regions, and its growers draw on groundwater to irrigate their crops.

The fee proposal sits against a backdrop of steady decline in the region's groundwater levels. Pumping costs have remained at $150 per acre-foot while the water table has dropped, and growers who irrigate potatoes must pay for every acre-foot drawn to keep their fields watered.

The San Luis Valley sits in southern Colorado and has long relied on groundwater for irrigation. Potato production there depends on that supply, and growers have warned that a jump to $500 per acre-foot would raise what they pay to pump the water their crops need.