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Water sW"ap options considered _McGregor Daily Sentinel 1/~ '12, Mesa County commissioners say if Denver wants to talk deals on water. then Mesa Coun- ty wants to put highway improvements and airport landing fees on the table. too, The talks center on solving water supply problems for Denver. Summit and Grand counties by having Denver come up with cash to pay for the Western Slope's new $47 mil- lion reservoir near Kremmling, called Wol- ford Mountain. "Our feeling is the water being talked about is of no real benefit to Mesa County," said Commissioner Jim Spebar, "If tbis isn't a water-for-water deal, tben perbaps tbere are some other things Denver ~" ""-:::~;:':~::: :.:.....:...;'.:,y.:... '" ,-- .....".... -= Roben GlIrclalOaHy Sentinel can belp us witb, like four-laning U.S. Higb- way 6&50 to Delta, or seeing that landing fees for the new airport don't further raise the '.,':'-:; costs of flying to Denver." he said. Spehar's response comes at the request of Greg Hoskin, a Grand Junction attorney and Mesa County representative on the Colorado River Water Conservation District board, The board, which is dealing with Denver on the issue, meets next week, and Hoskin want- ed to plumb the commissioners' opinions be- fore then, One of the strings attached to Denver's of. fer is that it would gain a permanent right to 40 percent ofthe water in the new reservoir. Denver would use the water by exchange, releasing it from Wolford Mountain to make up for increased transmountain diversions from Dillon Reservoir, Hoskin said the offer presents a dilemma, See Water, page 5A Water From Page One "Is it better for the Western Slope to own 60 percent of some- thing with wet water in it, or 100 percent of sometbing that's just on paper?" he asked. In 1986, ,a,,'historic deal settling years of legaibattles between Den- ver and the river district called for Denver to help pay for Wolford Mountain and use 40 percent of its water for 25 years. Then Denver's proposed Two Forks Reservoir was killed by tbe federal governmenl , Now, Denver says it needs tbe Wolford Mountain water perma- nently, and it's willing to sweeten tbe deal by $12 million, covering all but $6 million of the reservoir's total cost Mesa County Attorney Lyle De- chant said the commissioners "feel we should go ahead and bargain with Denver." But Dechant said Western Slope negotiators should also be very clear about what each side gets, For example. he's concerned that,adual operating procedures could mean that Denver will end up with more than 40 percent of the water. ,.,. '.w.' ' "They could be selling us, the sleeves out of a vest,'-.fhe said; But Hoskin said, he senses a re- luctance among the commissioners to deal with Denver. And for his own opinion, he said. "Denver is not making as good a deal for the Western Slope as they could. This water is costing them about $3,700 an acre-foot, hui a lot of people think Denver, could af. ford to pay from $5,000 to $6.000 an acre.foot" An acre-foot equals 325,851 gal- lons and is the water'used in a year by four to five people. But Hoskin also is feeling pres- sure from the Mesa County Water Association, Association vice president Joe Skinner argued in a July 2 letter the reservoir was intended to com- pensate the Western Slope for transmountain diversions already operating,