Crispy is great for donuts, but it is an economic disaster for homes, crops and forests. Colorado's drought has ominous implications for the people, plants and animals that occupy our beautiful state. While it could not have been prevented, better leadership could have mitigated its damage.

Drought should not surprise Colorado. We're an arid state. The Potomac and Mississippi Rivers make such mighty Western rivers as the Colorado and Arkansas look pretty puny. Yet our economy depends heavily on agriculture and tourism, both large water users.

One might think, therefore, that every Colorado governor would plan ahead for just such a water crisis as we face today. That certainly happened in the Lamm and Romer administrations, when both governors frequently asked the "what if" questions, i.e., What if the snow pack is below normal? What if we can't meet water obligations to all users? And the important follow up questions: What are our plans for dealing with a water crisis? Are we prepared for a severe drought? Who needs to be at the table to plan for an emergency? Then, they took action.

This time around, Colorado is unprepared for the worst drought in a century. Farmers have minimal crops to harvest. Ranchers must sell their cattle. World-class fishing streams are drying up and ski areas may not be able to make the snow that attracts tourists even during a meager winter. That doesn't even count the impact on people whose domestic water supplies have evaporated.

Hindsight can teach us important lessons. But, foresight is far more valuable. It's a quality we look for in our political leaders. Good political leadership means planning ahead for the obvious crises and making sure a state is ready for potential disasters. This time around, our political leadership failed us.

What should have been done and what should be done now to manage a severe drought? For one, Colorado has a multitude of water districts and large water users that compete for scarce water supplies. It would make great sense to gather them all together periodically, even during wet years, to forge specific plans for cooperation during dry years. Only the governor can provide effective leadership when so many diverse interests are involved.

Water conservation measures need to be a standard part of water policy, not just imposed as a desperate response to shrinking supplies. When reservoirs have dropped to critical levels and even a superb snow season will not fully restore them, it is too late to react. The danger is already upon us.

All water users, from ranchers to businesses to golf clubs to homeowners, need to be engaged in the discussion about how to sustain our economy in this dry climate. When a broad spectrum of interests is involved in solving a problem, more people will agree with the solutions. In Colorado, these could include incentives (lower water rates, for example) for having desert gardens instead of expansive lawns, for recycling water for all recreational and commercial uses, for installing drip systems on farming operations. Because this is a statewide effort, it must be the governor who convenes the discussion.

While the issue of additional water storage is very sensitive politically, we cannot ignore it. It could mean building new dams and/or enlarging existing reservoirs or injecting more excess water into underground aquifers. The requirements of our river compacts must be fulfilled in any plan. The needs of the varied water users, whether cities or wildlife or rafters, must be taken into account. These are difficult negotiations that must take place before a crisis hits, not when desperation may drive ill-conceived and unsustainable decisions.

It all comes back to leadership. Stronger leadership and better planning would have ensured that Colorado was at least prepared for the drought. It would have put in place measures to sustain our economy during a prolonged dry spell. It would have started negotiations for improving future water availability. This hasn't happened yet. Hindsight tells us it's time to get going. Foresight would get the governor to act now.