Denver (AP) State water officials say Colorado is "recovering but not recovered" from a historic drought. The drought has cost the state an estimated $1.1 billion in agriculture, tourism and recreation.
Deputy State Engineer Jack Byers told state lawmakers Thursday that tourism and recreation are making a comeback from the drought, but farmers and ranchers are still trying to recover.
Byers says that at one point, the state was down 1.7 million acre–feet of water in reservoirs that can hold up to seven million acre–feet. He says the state is still about 200,000 acre–feet short.
An acre–foot is enough water to serve one to two average
households for one year.
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