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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />02';8 <br /> <br />of the population growth in Western Colorado, which will result from <br />the development of the oil shale industry, alone indicates that, long <br />prior to the year 2000, municipalities with a total estimated popula- <br />tion of 750,000 will exist in the Grand Valley. These people will be <br />entitled to, and it will be just as necessary for them to drink water as <br />it will be for the people of Denver. We believe these estimates of popu- <br />lation increase in Wlestern Colorado to be more realistic and depend- <br />able than are the estimates of population increase which Denver is <br />constantly reiterating in all of her public utterances. <br /> <br />Tersely stated, it is our position that if Denver runs out of <br />municipal water, she must then acquire South Platte water rights, now <br />used to irrigate South Platte Basin lands, and retire those lands from <br />agriculture. She cannot, in good conscience, ask the aid of the United <br />States of America in drying up presently irrigated lands, or precluding <br />future irrigation in Western Colorado so that her development and that <br />of the immediately surrounding areas in Eastern Colorado shall know <br />no limits save only the physical availability of Colorado River water. <br />Agricultural and industrial development in Colorado, we submit, <br />should be uniform, not the lop-sided endeavor Denver would bring <br />about. <br /> <br />Therefore, we shall decline to comment, in this conference or <br />elsewhere, upon any imaginary need of the City and County of Denver <br />for water for municipal and domestic purposes. Her needs are complete- <br />ly met by her present rights. We then turn our attention to Denver's <br />poorly concealed scheme to circumvent and, we think, flagrantly vio- <br />late the provisions of Senate Document No. 80 and of the Blue River <br />Stipulation by extending and enlarging the purposes for which she will <br />divert water through the Roberts Tunnel. <br /> <br />Our analysis and appraisal of Genver' s demand and its ramifi- <br />cations convinces us that these, among others not yet revealed, are <br />her objectives: <br /> <br />1. She plans to have water stored in Green Mountain Reservoir <br />made available, by the Secretary, for replacement or exchange for her <br />Fraser, Williams and Blue River diversions. If this can be accom- <br />plished, then her over-all scheme will be furthered in the following <br />way: <br /> <br />(a) She can build up and retain a greater power head in her <br />Williams Fork Reservoir for the generation of electric power, as a <br />tax free. revenue producing facility, not for power replacement. <br /> <br />4- <br />