The economy needs well-maintained roads and bridges to grow, according to the Colorado report. Commercial real estate brokers and developers are closely monitoring anything that would jump-start the local economy.

"Each component of infrastructure becomes so vital that disruption of any element could compromise the health, welfare, and the way of life of every Coloradoan," according to the report.

The Colorado Report Card's assessment focuses on 12 major infrastructure components: dam safety, water supply, drinking water, wastewater, aviation, roads, environmental clean-up, solid waste, air quality, bridges, energy, and mass transit.

Grades have been assigned on a traditional educational scale of A through F based on criteria set by ASCE. The Colorado grades ranged from a high of "B+" for aviation to a low of "D+" for roads.

Colorado investments in the roadway network are not keeping up with growing demands. State funding has recently been severely cut as a result of voter's initiative to dedicate budget surpluses to other programs. Potential solutions to ease the increasing demands on Colorado transportation systems include alternative transportation methods, increased use of toll roads, and additional transportation funds.

Environmental cleanup of high-active-hazard waste sites in Colorado has historically been slow, but the pace of cleanup has quickened. Leaking underground storage tanks site cleanup is very good, but a serious environmental problem exists with abandoned mines and more than 35 years and $75 million will be required to clean up these mines.

Water Supply received a "C", which shows there is room for improvement. The drought has exposed the state's vulnerability to severe water supply shortages. By 2010, the state will have 20% more residents, while reservoir storage capacity has fallen behind since 1970 from 1.5 to 1 acre-foot per person.

The state needs to continue working on smart storage and provide financial incentives for resource allocation within the property and water rights structure to at least maintain and hopefully improve this grade.

The solutions to our infrastructure problems involve more than money and a renewed partnership between citizens, local, state governments, and the private sector, according to the report.

"As a state, we have taken for granted that our lights will turn on, our roads won't become sink holes beneath us and that we'll have water supply during a severe drought," says Stephen Fisher, chair of the Colorado section of the engineering group. "Without adequate resources, we cannot implement appropriate solutions, and adequate resources means not just money but also leadership, vision, wisdom, and cooperation."