Growth in Bozeman has been a hot topic lately with many people inquiring as to how the city will grow.  One aspect that has been noticeably absent from that discussion is the impact of growth on Bozeman’s water supplies. Many believe that there are sufficient water supplies available for future growth.  Whether or not that is true will largely depend on the decisions each and every one of us make about how to use and value our water.

Bozeman is situated in a semi-arid high plains ecosystem and receives a relatively meager sixteen inches of precipitation on average during the growing season each year. Bozeman is a headwaters community, located at the very top of the drainage of the Missouri River Basin. This is great news from a water quality perspective. There are no cities or industries above us, so the quality of our water is extremely high. However, there is no upstream for us to get more water if supplies run low, so the quantity of water is limited.

Most of the city’s water comes from snowmelt from the Hyalite Range that feeds Sourdough (Bozeman) Creek and Hyalite Reservoir which flows into Hyalite (Middle) Creek. The rest comes from groundwater in Lyman Creek on the southwest side of the Bridger Mountains.

These supplies are likely to become less reliable over time. Bozeman, like many western cities and towns, is facing a future with shifting precipitation patterns-more moisture coming in the form of rain versus snow during shoulder seasons and warmer temperatures resulting in earlier peak flows and drier summers. Combine this with rapid population growth and Bozeman could reach the limits of its available water supplies in the next fifteen to twenty years.

The City of Bozeman’s Integrated Water Resources Plan (Plan) adopted by the City Commission in 2013 outlines a path forward to accommodate coming growth. The Plan projects that if we grow at 3% per year, Bozeman’s population will more than double in less than thirty years.  It is worth noting that for the last two years Bozeman has grown in excess of 4.5% annually.  The Plan estimates that if current water uses are not reduced, Bozeman’s demand for water will exceed available supplies around 2036 or when the population exceeds 62,000.

For most of Bozeman’s history as a city, we have met our water needs by expanding supply. Through reservoirs, pipes, and treatment plants, water was moved to where humans wanted it. The Plan recognizes the limits of Bozeman’s water supply and requires the majority of future water supplies to come from demand reduction-a.k.a. water conservation, and, to a lesser extent, continued expansion of supply through infrastructure projects. The water needs of the next fifty thousand people cannot be accommodated with the practices that supplied the first forty-five thousand.

What is water conservation? It is each and every one of us deciding to use less water in and around our homes and businesses-otherwise known as demand-side water resource management. The Plan identifies water conservation as the primary source for the majority of our future water supplies because it costs far less than traditional infrastructure projects, the water is immediately available to accommodate growth or in times of drought versus having to wait ten to fifteen years for a new water supply to be built, and water conservation carries with it a host of environmental benefits that go towards improving water quality that support aquatic and terrestrial habitats in our lakes and rivers. The best and the worst part about water conservation is that all of us make a difference. This is great because if we all do our part to use less water by doing things like swapping out inefficient toilets, clothes washers, showerheads or sprinklers for efficient models, it instantly generates water supplies to enable Bozeman to grow and to better withstand drought events.  The City of Bozeman offers great rebates for all these items. Don’t think your toilet makes a difference?  By trading out one old toilet in your home, you can save enough water to fill 4,556 bathtubs which provides enough water for two single residential units for an entire year.  

Without water conservation, the path we are on will result in expensive infrastructure projects. Water-based environmental and recreational amenities at the heart of the Bozeman lifestyle will also be jeopardized unless a changed growth ethic emerges. Future solutions lie in managing water demand through changing the way we grow our urban and suburban areas and increasing efficiency of our distribution systems and end uses. Additional water infrastructure will be a needed part of the solution, but infrastructure will not solve most of our water supply challenges. Rather than viewing this outlook with pessimism, Bozeman has a unique opportunity to plan for and build more livable and sustainable urban spaces with smaller land and water footprints.

Currently, nearly half of our municipal water goes to outdoor landscapes. These landscapes are important to our quality of life and provide value and cooling to our homes and businesses. Research has shown we can derive much of this value with a significantly smaller water footprint using water conservation and improved landscaping techniques. Additionally, Millennials and Baby Boomers seem more interested in smaller lots with less lawn care, likely steering future development in new directions.

While Bozeman might be the only city in Montana with a water conservation division, across the U.S., there are many examples of successful water use efficiency programs demonstrating that it works. We can and eventually will grow water smart in Bozeman. The question is how to make this happen sooner as we plan for our water future. One very easy first step we can all take is to start this dialogue today. How many people do you hear talking about Bozeman’s rate of growth in relation to our finite water supplies? If sustainable growth in Bozeman is important to you, start the conversation by talking about solutions to these challenges.

Beyond community discussions, there are numerous examples of municipal water conservation ordinances and growth planning that we can look to. It is also critical that we plan for episodic multi-year drought as a separate phenomenon from growth and water conservation goals. Developing institutional mechanisms that create flexibility in moving water among uses will also be important to meeting the water supply gap. How can Bozeman continue to grow? By better connecting urban growth and water supply planning.