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8 . Gunnison Country Times Thursday, November 25, 2004 L Basin of origin protection on hold TOlli M, Todd \/1 o ~.,o Water watchers ill the Gunni- SOil Uasin dun't want to cash in lheir political chipS jusl yel, as' those. lcaucrs advised newly r1ecled Colorado SlOle Represcn- [arive Kathleen Curry against proposing legislatiun aimed at protecting basins from trans- mountain diversions. Curry reminded the board thaI she has what she described as, "....ery Hull". political l:apital" as a freshman legislalor. "1 want to use it wisely," she said, asking her former bosses - the board oC directors for Ihe Upper Gunnisun River Water Conservancy Di~Lrit:l - how she could best represenl them in . Denver. She propo~cJ the ideOl or fo- cusing more tllls year on the un- going Statewide Waler Supply Initiative (SWSI) and wailing a year on bilsin of origin legisla- tion. "I agree with that," said UGR- weD Board Member Ken Sp~nn. "Take a year lO learn whom you (an tr\\5t." . "They're: luoking for it from lIS," added UGRWCD Attorney John McClow "It would be a big mistake .for her to sponsor a bas III of origin bilL" As head of the House Agricul- ture, Livestock aud Nalural Re- sources Committee. Curry said she is expected to "carry" certain IV fl fl :) ~ <t' :) :) " :> o z: bills. CUlT}' said she believes she will be expected to mtroduce some form of "basin of origin" legislation. Local resiuenl Ramon Reed joined in offering words of cau- lion. "if you pass sOlilclhing (basin uf origin legislation) that ducs not incluue the word 'protection,' it will hurt this basin," he said. Curry said she has <l more pressing concern. "} Ihinl< there's a scrious issue relaling tu lhe Colorado River Compact, and rcg,udmg how much entitlemcnt we (Colurado) have lefl," she explaiued, "We're going 10 go lhrough a whole lUI (,.If brain damage on trans-basin diversiun when lheres plObahl)' not cvcn any water to diverL ex. cepl in extremely WCI years." The Colorauo River Compacl is the forlll"l agreement between the upper and lower Culorado River .Basin slatcs that deter- mines how much watcr each slate gels each year from thc Col- orado River ~nd iI's IriJlIIl~rics The firsl SWSl reporl, wllleh LOok 18~molllhs (0 compilc, ha~ been complele:d. However, all ad- ditional $500,000 may he infused into lhe effUrl through nexl July to focus on upportunities for more trans-basin diversions from the WeSlern Slope of Colorado to the Front Range, The UGRWCD has not been plcasd with Ihe SWSl process, "Tmns-Illountain diversiuns shuultl not be the only lopic of diseussion," said UGRWCD Doard Member Steve Glazp.r. "If we Ileed to inl'Tl'ase water use ef- ficienc)' or find llew sUJ1pli~s, Ihen we shuuld talk abOUI thaI." UGR\VCD DirULOr Karell Shirley described her disappOlnl- ment with the entire SWSI roumhablc uiscussion process m gathering expert infurmatlun for the re-porL She has said that (he ruumhable meetings were 110t open convt:rsations, but were Powcr Point prcs~ntatitlns made by SWSI facilitators, Tliey pru- vided little opporlunUy for inpul. When she and,Glazer attended the most recent SWSI meeting, it was slrm:lureu in such as way as to solicit only pusilive feedback from participants about the SWSI process. "It was discouraging," she said. "'We (Steve and I) were the onl)' ones giving negative feedback." Shirley added, "We would not aUlhorize use of funds wilhout re-evaluating the process." She suggested (hal if disulssiun~ uccur over the next few monlhs, they should be between and among rill basins, nul just lhe parries [0 likely trans-mouIllain diversions. Board member Spann s<\iJ, "Make them accuunlable for the muney. This lime, we need to step up and ask, 'ex,ctly where is lhe $500,000 gUlllg Iu go)'" Shirley saiu she has heen ap~ proached by Ihe CWCB, "They would like mr-: 10 nH~cl with them to discuss the process and ad- Jress our concerns_" "That's guod," responded Curry, "jt seems strange lhal the)' want to change lhe process now, after iL's over," t:~mmented board member Diane Lothamer. o c:' """" l-' Q<:' CiO Curry got al1 informal OK frum the UGRWCD hoard to focus on the micro-management of the SWS~ mOlley, resqlve Com. pact issues and wait a year o.n hasin.of origin legislation. She vowed to take their sug- gestions with her to' Denver in her attempt to best. represenllhe district. .