|
<br />
<br />San Luis Valhry.........
<br />(Qmtllllled,fromjJQge 12)
<br />
<br />Snong has demonstrated some
<br />commitment to development of the
<br />valley's cconomy, He has invc.sted in
<br />high altiludo agriculturel research, He
<br />boll8hl,wilhpartncrs,andlJlllintainson
<br />a valley ranch a butcaJo herd. H(land
<br />Fetzer Foundation orricials have
<br />promised to invest in the valley a poltion
<br />of lilt earnill8s from the water. He has
<br />talkcd of lUrn.ing lhe Bacaranch inlOa
<br />gameprescrvc.
<br />In addiliOll,ifit builds tbc project,
<br />AWDJ will spend severa] hundred
<br />million dollars in the valiey drilling
<br />wells, buUding pipelines, and ClVentually
<br />creating a handful of permanent jobs.
<br />The company may also br:l persuaded lO
<br />invest in olbec ventures.
<br />
<br />Agric/lltlUU/ economy is declining
<br />
<br />AmOngthCvallCYresideOIS
<br />lUe a few heretics who
<br />hsvc quietly soggested
<br />that somebody should be lalking to
<br />AWDI about investing In lhevaUeyinan
<br />attcmpt 10 diversify the economy. While
<br />agricultunll revenue Is still viw 10 lhe
<br />valley, ILS contribution to the local
<br />tconomyis dcclining.
<br />In 1970, lann earnings accounted
<br />for l7'percenl, or $50 million, of the
<br />wtal personal income earned by valley
<br />mlidenlS, By 1986, fann earnings were
<br />down 1010 percent, or $40 million.
<br />SlroIIg, who is 11 board membet of the.
<br />San LuIs Valley Economic Development
<br />Councll.lll)'$hel\lld the company are
<br />willing to help diversify ,the valley
<br />economy. , '-' .
<br />Thai offer iniy," be the basis for
<br />!UtUre"Dl!Bo1ialion....FOI".lhc,ptcllGllr.:-
<br />howevCt.>all_talks are being tJeld in
<br />Alam038 Water Court., where the legaJ
<br />sparring cooId take two years or more.
<br />Even a complete viclory on the
<br />question of walCt righlS would be only
<br />half,ork:ss. of tile battle. Denver,after
<br />ali,had the IY8lelrighl3 10 fUl Two Forks
<br />Resetvoir,bllI\YIlS:bealen'becaUSCIoflbe
<br />environmcntaldamagetheprojeclwouId'
<br />"""'-
<br />For now, the Front Range
<br />environmenteJislS who organlud the
<br />fighlagaillSt1\vo Forks are staying 0111
<br />of the San Luis Valley waw-righu fighL
<br />But Dl\Il Luecke oC the Environmental
<br />Defense Fund and Chris Meyer of the
<br />NlldonaI Wildlife Federation say they
<br />are watching eYCIlu Closely. Both say
<br />environmcntalorganizationsarelikelyto
<br />weighiniltheprojectWl'llSinlOauans.
<br />m(lurllaindiversiOll.
<br />The San Luis Valley is not the only
<br />plllCeintheWestwhereattcmptsuc
<br />being made to move water fTom
<br />agricuIlUl'lllOcilieS. All around DenVct,
<br />for eurnpJe. lanns and ditch compatties
<br />are being bought up by cilies fo( their
<br />wacer. Thec:enll'alArizona mctropOlitan
<br />areas are rcaching far inlO the stale's
<br />weslern desen to buy up cotton {arms
<br />
<br /> 0
<br /> 0
<br /> .
<br /> "
<br />/--- ~
<br />..' ~
<br /> ~
<br /> .
<br /> ,
<br />
<br />
<br />Cattlemen shooting the breeu: .In the conak new.'it
<br />and turn them inlo "water farms" for ,> ~ ~~':'~iry
<br />Pboenix and Tucson. And in southern almost anywhere; and theY,-make 111(i'
<br />ClIliCornia, the Metropolitan Water < valley work. . _ - '. . ~_
<br />District has signed an agreement Wilh BUI thai was before TWo ForkS.and
<br />tbelmperiaJ lnigalion Disuict 10 U'llIlSfer before Maurice Strong. Now, as Wall'
<br />some agrlculmral waler to Ihe Los Street would say, the San Luis Valley'is
<br />ArlgeJesarea. . In play. Its VllSlamOunt of water has
<br />Bmlhe San Luis Valleysituapon i$'. been spotllghled. Should Slr(Ing'sgroup
<br />notyourtypkalWeslernWlllertrll!lsfer. lose ilS COllrl bid,olhers may come
<br />First. of ooun;e..S1tong isD!t'orrering 'IOn calling onthe laQ!:e landholders. but with
<br />buY OUI valley ranchers and potato cash ralher than legal claims. And the
<br />CarmCfS.lnstead,belsclaiminglhatbe landowners may be more receplivc to
<br />has a right to a vast arnOlDii of Water. He water buyers than tMy are to people they
<br />Is. in the viewofhis opponents. lr)'inglO percciveaswatei"lhieves. -
<br />~ the watcrlhrollgh legal means. This means thai even a resounding'
<br />Second, San Luis Valley 8gricllllU/'tl defeat Cor SlroJIB'WOJ1'! end'the val1ey's'
<br />is POI a highly subsidized operation. problems. 'Ibus'far.hardly anyone here
<br />Farming here wasn't developed by is looking at the broader, longer-term
<br />Unhed States taXpayers building questions raised bJ' the value of Ibe
<br />irrigation projecU.IlISlelld,tIte farmers groundwalet.Loca1altelltionisfocused
<br />built1helt own irrigation s)'SlemS and the on waler righu; disllUll observCfS like the
<br />polllto farming thatdominales the valley FrontRangeenviromuenlalists see it as a
<br />is tc.Iatively free markel Nor are the water righ,1S flShl !tUll just may become
<br />potato farmets in lI'OUble at the roomenL an environmental fighL
<br />They have just enjoyed two excellent It is unlikely that the water coun
<br />years in a row. will rule on any but the narrowest
<br />YettheSanLulsValleyislypica1in gIOUIlds. And tbal will ieave the most
<br />that iu WBlct would have much more inleresling questions for some other
<br />value if II were {or sale 10 Denver or San {llIUII1, asswning one can be found.
<br />Diego instead of irrigaling POIaIO and For eurnple. does the existence of
<br />a1faIfafselds. tw'Bi and small-tOwn life have a value
<br />And, ofcourse, the wIlley is no rural beyOlldthe revenues people working in
<br />paradise. The fanning b dominated hy
<br />large growers, huge cenler-pivOt
<br />irrigalOtS,andample use ofchemica1s.It
<br />isahigh,harsh place to live. and il is
<br />horne to some of the poorest people in
<br />Ihow"L
<br />Nevcnheless,ithas been a relalively
<br />stable place, People stay despite the
<br />
<br />. 'I have often thought we need
<br />some constraint on the growth
<br />of cities. Access to water
<br />may be the best constraint.'
<br />
<br />;'-.-,-"
<br />
<br />cOrpOralion~$ calI oll.,a '.-reso~
<br />'-cssenLialto,a_locaI~Y.bfl_a1lOWed
<br />to reshape__the ~hara_cier-;;:o~,J.hat
<br />economy'! "; "--'':i,:(t''-;i",:;'''mi,r.';-
<br />Thll Ol)iY,valley!armer whO'C8st.tJJe"
<br />strugg1ein thosc tennS tuns an organic
<br />wheatanll beef farm. While OIlier
<br />farmers complained that lowering the
<br />WlUcr table will drive up their pumping
<br />coslS,GregGosarlalkedofengagingthe
<br />company on the question of whether
<br />valley water shoul!! be expotled to
<br />Denver.
<br />"II doeSn't make sense to me to..give
<br />.-higher-priority to. the growth of cities
<br />over food,production. For them 10 say
<br />tbeyneed the water IO.fiushanotberflVe
<br />ounces oC pce down a toilet-is crazy,"
<br />Gosar said. "I have often thought we
<br />need to have some c::onStralnlon the
<br />growth of cities. 'Access to water may be
<br />thebeStCOl\sltllinl"
<br />
<br />o
<br />
<br />Rick Boychuk is a freeIance writer"
<br />in Crestone, Colorado, in the San Luis
<br />Valley. His SIOly was paid for by the
<br />High Country News ~esean::h Fund.
<br />
<br />
<br />Loading grain .Into box cars in Centet', Colorado
<br />
<br />
<br />',""',
<br />
<br />'-, '''_ ~,."- -,.,.... 0
<br />
<br />n 'J i..,"'~ 1 Q
<br />\..: 1..,1 . I ()
<br />
<br />"~:~"
<br />
<br />.q
<br />
<br />':;,:;
<br />
<br />-.'j,
<br />
<br />
<br />,
<br />\-
<br />
<br />
|