Stein’s Law and Colorado’s Water

courtesy Republican River Conservation District

I’ve become entranced with “Stein’s Law” as an alternative to the faux Twain “water’s for fightin’ over” as a cliche to help guide water policy rhetoric:

If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.

The draining of Bonny Reservoir in eastern Colorado to comply with the terms of the Republican River Compact – such an odd event that it even drew the attention of the Brits – is my latest example. There wasn’t enough water in the Republican to keep Bonny wet and still meet everyone’s water needs. The blue line is supply. The red line is demand.

So it’s being drained. No fighting here, just a harsh reality in the era of limits, and a compact complied with.