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Environment | Where does all the Colorado River water go? A…
Monday, June 29th 2026

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Where does all the Colorado River water go? A huge amount goes to grow cattle feed, new analysis shows.

Nearly half of water that’s diverted for human use goes to produce alfalfa and hay

Ranch hand Joe Richardson spreads a roll of hay for cattle at the Miller Ranches in Granby, Colorado, on April 3, 2024. Situated alongside the Colorado River, about a mile of the river traverses the property. The ranch located near the headwaters of the river is one of the first places to use the river’s water after it flows out of Granby Lake. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Ranch hand Joe Richardson spreads a roll of hay for cattle at the Miller Ranches in Granby, Colorado, on April 3, 2024. Situated alongside the Colorado River, about a mile of the river traverses the property. The ranch located near the headwaters of the river is one of the first places to use the river’s water after it flows out of Granby Lake. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 8: Elise Schmelzer - Staff portraits at the Denver Post studio. (Photo by Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post)
By | eschmelzer@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
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More Colorado River water is used to grow a single crop than for drinking water, business needs and industrial uses combined across the seven-state river basin that's home to more than 40 million people, a new analysis has found.
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