As a Colorado kid, Jeremy Bloom grew up playing on some form of water nearly every day. Growing up on Boyd Lake in Loveland, Colo., his family were avid water skiers in the summer. During the winter season, however, is where his passion for water, in the form of snow, truly came alive. Back then, it seemed so magical, plentiful and never ending.
The harsh reality is that today, that same extraordinary substance is at risk. This is problematic for two reasons. One, as of 2015 Colorado’s ski industry created $4.8 billion in annual economic benefit for the state, with Colorado leading the nation in the industry. In our mountain regions especially, the ski industry supports a large share of the employment and tax base.
Second, as fundamental as snow is for skiing, it is also Colorado’s most important source of water. Unfortunately, researchers at the University of Colorado’s Western Water Assessment found that snowpack declines in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah could shrink by 10% to 20% by mid-century if warming trends continue. And a 2017 study by the University of Colorado suggests that by 2050 the ski season will be cut in half for most U.S. winter recreation destinations.
To combat these issues, Jeremy is asking Coloradoans to join him in the Water ’22 campaign hosted by the nonprofit Water Education Colorado, a year-long celebration of Colorado water and an opportunity to get engaged.
Simply go to www.Water22.org to learn more about Colorado’s water, find campaign events and activities, and take the pledge to commit to 22 simple actions to protect water quality and conserve more than 22 gallons of water a day. This equates to 8,000 gallons of water a year per person — nearly 48 billion gallons a year for Colorado. For some perspective, this is the same as 150,000 acre-feet of water or the amount stored in Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins where Jeremy grew up.
You can watch the live interview with Jeremy HERE.
