<br />~
<br />
<br />
<br />f
<br />!Water supply translates into stability
<br />
<br />n, TO:\1I\1c'\\'O\'
<br />Ch"'/flli"I),:.na/lun'l/rl
<br />DEN\TR - St,lbilily j<, the- \\ort.! cur-
<br />n.'nl and former ~lalc officiah Ill()\( orten
<br />;bpply lo Ct)IOr:l(jII'~ hyingpan.
<br />III ^rk;m';l~ l)rojl'l'1.
<br />9 "The projC'C1 ha\!x"Cn a !>uC(:c~\fur hi,.
<br />!i: Itlric d<.:\c!(lpmCIlI for Southern ('01\)(...
<br />"'!:do." Go\'. Roy Romer said. "It has
<br />? \lahihl'cd the- w;ller :l\'OIibhlc for ("rm
<br />'Virrig;ltjoll, l:omlllunily gnl\\th, stream
<br />cd' ..
<br />III management an recreatIon.
<br />~ Without PUl'hlo R~cn'oir it'" dOLI I'll-
<br />n fllllhat f'u('hl(l ('('uld have guar;UlIccd
<br />o the WOller ncrdl'tllo stimulatt.' economic
<br />F dcn'!t1pmcnl in recent years, he s;.id.
<br />"'" Romer grew up in lIolly, where hi..
<br />~ family used to irrigate out of the Amity
<br />~ Canal, during the Dust 1J(lwl era of the
<br />] Gf(';ll Dqm.:ssion.
<br />~ ''I've Ii \led wilh Ihe f'ryingp.ln4Arbn_
<br />.. "'1\ Projecl fur il lilll}! lime. lilin/; in Ihl:'
<br />=- Lower ^r"'ms,l~ Valley and ~ing Ihe
<br />;: wholl' \';lII('y m:l\imll'e <I 1I<lllIral r('-
<br />...: ~ourn'," he ~,lid
<br />n
<br />o
<br />3
<br />I Pueblo gets 'insurance policy'
<br />
<br />~ 14) 1,()Rl:TTA SWORIl J 1,200 acre-fed of stor;lg(' for proj('('t
<br />< 1/..' r"..M" ("fjil'li<liu waler al Lale Pu('b]o.
<br />: Th~ r,.yingpan-Arkan~as Proj('ct is 10 AuJilion;llly, Ihe tloard buys 110n-pro-
<br />~ the PUeOI,I) B,lard (~fWal('r \\:or~~ \\hal jcel SIOlilg(' sp;lce each )'l'ar for wat('c
<br />0' .'-'oylis 01 L~lIld(Jn h to the sluPPlng from its man)' olhl'r sources.
<br />? lI\{.I~slry ~ InSucanc\.' f{lr Ihe fUlure ilnd Ikfore Ihat spa('c bcc:tm(' ;I\"ililab]e,
<br />~ ag.lJnst dlS,l\ll'r, the o(lard !otort'd mosl of ih W:tter in
<br />!;i In the water ooard's C;ISC, dis.lstec of Up~trc;lm resen'oirs.. Mtl<:h (lfit was
<br />~ Ihe lind only J\1othcr Nature Call tlrin~. ~Iort'd '" space O"'lll'(j t'ly (T&I Slee!
<br />.:: 'The waler tluard is elltitkd to 8,050 ('orp, al Turquoi~c Lake in lead\'illc, In
<br />tn ;lcre-fl'el (lfPhlj(,l't. W;lIer each }'ea~, One relurn,.C!:&1 g(lt 20 JX'r('(,1l1 of the w:lIyr
<br />C1I :It'rl'-foot of waler IS enough to S<II,'.[y Mored III ns space _ nOI a great bargam
<br />~ thc n\Xds of;1 family (If f{lur for a )'('ar. for the water ooard.
<br />~ Allh\lUfh the board has ncver yet Rogcr "Bud" O'lIar;l, th~ board's di.
<br />:... Jr;lwn ;1 !,11ll,:11' drop of Fr}'-Ark water, rl'Clor of watcr rl'sources, said rdea'il.'s
<br />:g its ;n'ailabililY fIll';lIlS that this city Ill'l'J fWIll TurquoiSA: I<Xlk "hours and hours"
<br />C never worry <loo.ut drouFhl- nOI e\ell to rl:'adl PUl.'tllo. "By Ihaltime, il could
<br />Ihe Du~t lJvwllllld of JroughL l\C raining like CrMy anJ we didn'l ne('l!
<br />And th~' "l''III'.I'' wal('r has lx'('n one or il <Ill)' more:' Then thnc \\as no (:hoke
<br />the cily's lopdra\\ing card!' in l'onvinc_ but 10 kt it conlinu(' 011 down the
<br />ing nC'"' industrks 10 ~l'lllc 11l'rc, ^rL.an~ls into Kans;ls.
<br />Unlill'uchlo nt'Cds it, Ihe wakr is Now Ihat the board's imml'diate Mlp-
<br />n,l:~dc aya.ilalllc cadl year rl.' f;lrll1~rS ilnJ pl~' is st0rcd .at lale PUl'blo, O'llara
<br />cl1le,> Willing 10 p;l)' a prl'1ll1Utll pn('c. salJ, "Ih('rl' IS much I~ss loss and wc gd
<br />Asidt, from an insur(.'d future watl'r the waler righl away \\hcn we ('all for
<br />supply, I'uetl]{l also is l'nlitk'd I(l up tu it."
<br />
<br />Lower valley cities now realize project's worth
<br />
<br />
<br />IJrHOII OARR
<br />Ihfl'lll"h"'C/'i,lfiJi"
<br />LA JUf'\TA - Ol.'wloping :1 rdi;lhtl'
<br />Mlurl'\.' for irrig:lli{ln and mllnkip;11 wa-
<br />ter sllppliC's has Ir;HJitiull:tlly becn :t con-
<br />ccrn,for IlK' Lower Arbnsas Valtc)'.
<br />Thc hcndil" Ill' the Fr}'illgpan-Arbn_
<br />S;IS I'rojl,("1 hI I1lllnil'ipalilic... in "(luth-
<br />l',I...I{'fIl C'tllutildv (';111 he nW<lSUrl" tlNh
<br />dirl'cll)' and illdim:tly.
<br />Dirl't:tly, thl.' rrO~l..'t prll\idl.'~ 2S Pt'c-
<br />l'l'nl of thl.' munieip'-l/ Wall'" used in La.
<br />mar cach )'c;lr :lIld lle:nl)' ,Ill lh~' waler
<br />mctlinCl"lHlk'Y('(lullty_
<br />"WI.' \\l'rC"n't re.llly illtl.'rl'sh,.'J in ilK'
<br />project whl'n it bl'f:all," Bob NVllhrur,
<br />ft1rma lamar tna,)'or anJ tine of the l'ar-
<br />Iy SUppOflt'r... {II' th~' pn1j"l'I, .....dd. "Wl,
<br />thought, ....l' had "II th.: w;llcr "l"J en'r
<br />n!.'l.'d.
<br />"Uul WI.' dis..:o\'l'rl'd Wl' \\t.'rc "'flIng
<br />anJ pl'liti(lfIeJ l,tI 1;('t inlo the prujel'l.'"
<br />Ill' s;liJ bll1arjs ;IIIVI~'d ;lbouL 2,4()(1
<br />~ ;1(Tl'-f!.'l'l of pwjccl W;ller each YC:tr <lnd
<br />u"u;llI) pUI\:hascs alxlut 2,000 aCtl'.fcl..'l
<br />
<br />During Romcr's watch as go\"ernor,
<br />the Slate :lnd feder;tl Burc.1U of Land
<br />t\1anagemenl h;n'e entered into a hi\\(lfic
<br />agreemenl creating the Arkansas River
<br />lIeadwaters State Park, which e'lcnd~
<br />from Buena Vista to ('ueblo.
<br />.'It :-hows an ('\'Ollllion in Ihe U'>C of
<br />our "-aler rt'~oUr('cs, not jU'it for irriga-
<br />tion and stream ll1anagt.'m(:nt down-
<br />stream tlut alw for recreation in lhe
<br />Uprcr Arkilnsa.; Valle}'," he said.
<br />Sle\'e ~fcNichol'i \\a.. go\"ernor in
<br />1962 ",hen Ihe late President John F.
<br />Kennedy ..igncd congre<;<;ion:ll authofi-
<br />7alion of Ihe prujlT!.
<br />"An awful 101 of 1X'0plc worked Oil
<br />Ihat projcrt," McNichol'> recrllll'd, '"Wc
<br />walked the m<lrbk'u hall.; of('ongrcss a
<br />long, long time with people like Tommy
<br />Tholl1s0n, '" \lho is I;cncr;l] manager of
<br />Ihe South1'3stern ('u]orado Water ('011-
<br />sen'aney [)i.~trict.
<br />Ill' praised Color;ldo's wngn......ion;11
<br />ddcgation, especially the latc Rl'P'
<br />Wayne ^<,pin:11I and Ihe late Scn. John
<br />
<br />", suppk'mclIt thl' CilY'lo well field. An
<br />;'Icn:-fool will supply enollgh W,Her fur a
<br />family of four for one year. Thc si_'I
<br />countics in South('.bICfIl Clllor;ldo arc
<br />,11l{lC,llcd ;'111 a\'era~(' of 9,600 acrl'.fl"Ct
<br />(';1('h year and :Ire t)fll.'n ;lbll.' It\ purdlase
<br />surplus or unall(l(::lll" \I:tlcr from the
<br />projl'd.
<br />"If \\1.' didn'l have projl'cl w;lln \\c'd
<br />I..... in rl'allwuolc righIIW\\," he );liu.
<br />Thc Wiltl'r di\"'f~ii(1I1 and storage pro-
<br />jl'l..'t al~ :tUowl.'d Cro" ley County to
<br />tlui/d a ncw COUIlI} \Iater Systl'lIl ill thl'
<br />l'arly 19~O's.
<br />'"WI:' woulJu'l h;l\'e a ('('unly wakr
<br />SYstem al all if Ih~ Fl)illl,:p,ln-Arbnsa...
<br />Projl'l..'l W:l:-II', tluill," JllC Kinard,
<br />Cw\\ky Counl). adminislt;.lIor, said.
<br />"Thc hm pipelincs th'll ~'n-e residellt:>
<br />out in the county, Ihe 96 Pipeline anJ
<br />Cro\\ky COUIlt} Wi,lll'r ^sso{,:iaIitln,
<br />werl' bQlh at their limil,lInJ ('ould tlard)'
<br />suppl)' Iheir mt'llllx.'rs, kt alolle any nen
<br />rcsiik'nts.
<br />Cwwky was rd)'inS llll .1 town wdl
<br />
<br />C'arr0l1, f{'r \\'orkint hard in Wa..hinglOll
<br />for ,luthoril'ation.
<br />
<br />The projcct \\i]1 be decklTl'd officially
<br />completed in dedication ccrcmonic.. f'ri-
<br />da)'.
<br />
<br />"This final complelion i.. reall}' won.
<br />dl'rful." ~fc~khols !.;Iid. "It ShO\b wllilt
<br />you can do \{, hen you're informed .LIld
<br />go along with nalural resources,
<br />
<br />"Peop]e lIeedl.'d water for tht'ir li\'eh.
<br />hoous and recrC;llioll. To ml.', it'lo Il(l\ a
<br />political problem; it\just a mall('r oflhe
<br />sovernment s.pending moncy to hdp
<br />people,"
<br />
<br />Robert k\\e, formcr Puehlo dnision
<br />engineer for Ihe ColMado Department
<br />of N:tluf<ll Rc..ources, ~aid it was it
<br />mammoth and innO\athe undcrtakin!!:;.1I
<br />the timc.
<br />
<br />"I relllembcl' !leing in the division's
<br />old office in downtown Puetl]o, waldling
<br />Prc~ident Kcnnedy ride by in 11J62 on hi,>
<br />way tolhl' st;ldium to cclehr.lle the au-
<br />thorizalion oflhe pmjc(:t," ks~c said.
<br />
<br />'Tor thc Si,C ofi!, Ihc pro/'c('t went
<br />pretty' s.moolhl)', '" he rOC;Jlk<. ,
<br />
<br />"In tot:!I capacil), Ilhinl.:, Ihe h)ing:_
<br />P,IO-^rkan..as has bl't.'n a stabli71ng
<br />factor ill meeling our walcr ne(.'d~. ('..pc-
<br />d;lll} ftlr f<lrmer<; in certain time~ oflhe
<br />}'e,lr. . . 11 "a~ rc]ali\'l']y ine'pcmi\'e Ii-
<br />costs go now."
<br />
<br />Je~<;e snid the pcojcl"t'.. initial thrusl
<br />Wa'i to strlbili"e the l1(m' orth~ AILlI1s;l~
<br />to ib\tlrC it ...tead} \Iater supply for irri-
<br />sation and indu<;lrblusc.
<br />
<br />"I (hlll't n:rnernbcr us rcall} consid-
<br />ering rccrc,llion,;b ..uch. Wc talked in
<br />the beginning aboul \\'-lter stor;lge and
<br />managCJl1l.'llt, the pa} b;lcL. to Ihe f...d~f;ll
<br />gO\'crnJl1l'nt and so forth," he said.
<br />
<br />'"Pueblo Re..crvoir lurned out to be
<br />Ihe busjcst I;lke in Cohlradll. U>' contro-
<br />lling (h~ I]{m of lhe rhl'r, bO:ltlllg and
<br />kayaking lVere made year-round," Jessc
<br />";lid, "It's a fair]) qU1ct, non.polluting
<br />and f.lmily-oricnt('d ri\el" something
<br />wc C:lll all be proud of,"
<br />
<br />Fry-Ark project has benefitted
<br />Upper Arkansas water users
<br />
<br />n, CHII\" ("OClIR,\'_I,[\\'I~
<br />11",,.....,,,,,Cll',/,,III,
<br />CA~.O!'\ ('IT Y - Watl.'r-:-h:trc_
<br />holder and formt'r Canon Cil} J\1aYllr
<br />George Turncr calls the Fr>ingran-
<br />Arkan~as I'rojl'("t :1 "greatlnsut;\n~l'
<br />policy" for a Male pr(lne 10 droughtt
<br />Turner, v.ho ha~ ~",(,Jl ill\'olwd in
<br />illll1o~t e\l.'r) a\jX'('t of !:IU) ing, selling
<br />and planning of watl'r u...c, s;tid Ihe
<br />proje-<:t has gi\'('n Colorado f;mller, rl
<br />deg/'l'(' of proteclion againslthc force)
<br />of Muthcr f'\ature,
<br />"If we didn't ha\l' Ihe prOjl'Ct, we
<br />thl'n \1041d be sutlj('cl to Ihe nO\\ of
<br />thl' ArLlOsas Ri\w:' hc said, "'fit
<br />got dr;lstic. <l lot of countr) would dr)
<br />up. It's a rC;11 nicc insurancl' policy:'
<br />The project has had a tremendous
<br />impact 011 communitk's .dong the
<br />Upper Arkansas Ri\er, said Turner.
<br />The henefit of h;l\ ing II water SOUr('L'
<br />;lfl'ordl'd b) the rroj('ct !l;h ,-"tendcd
<br />
<br />to industril''', lrrig;llloll c(llllr'lnie~ ;lIld
<br />rural farn1l'rs.
<br />
<br />"The opportunity 10 slOp \\akr
<br />temporarily .lnd use it 11) cllrnmuniti...',
<br />and industrics giH'5 the pot('ntial for <I
<br />Iremelldous imp,let," "':lid Turner,
<br />"Irrigation cOlllp;mic~ ..Iso C;In bu)
<br />W;tter. The offer is Ihere and \IC '''Ill
<br />do Ih.tt if we nel'd it:'
<br />
<br />Other bcndit" he said, indude rCl':
<br />reation. As a rl'suh of the I 'r} in~pan-
<br />Arkans;u. Projl'1:t, LaL.c Pueblo was
<br />ffltmcd and is nO\1 the most \'hit('J
<br />rl'crC:ttion sitt' in the SI:lIe.
<br />
<br />As a C(IUIlCilm;m, Turner !>t.f'\ l.'d 011
<br />the dt) \\:ltcr conltllitkl', As nla)0r,
<br />hc \\;h succe~..fu] in pUrdl:lsing l"ll.:r
<br />from C'hafTl'c Count) for ('anon Cil) \
<br />Use,
<br />
<br />"Wakr j) a good irl\~~tnwnt,'" hc
<br />said. "fhl're is Ile\\:f ennul,:h of it."
<br />
<br />Ihat onl) pUlllpt'd 60 E:lllnn~ a minute
<br />and the (lther to\\ ll~ \\cre limited ilS
<br />wcll.'"
<br />Kinard said Ihc ';50 anc-fl'l'l >llltlt.
<br />menl the COUllt) has ;lnd Ihe opporlunit)
<br />II' purdl<lsc surplus waler from the
<br />Southl'astcrn \\'at('r Cmbcr\.lnl') Dis-
<br />trict, \\hidl manag6 the projel"t, has ai-
<br />IlI\\cd th(' ('ourll) 10 pro\id~' pk'lltiful
<br />wakr,
<br />"Till' Pr<.~l'ct rcally S,l\cJ the \\ hole
<br />COUlll) loince r1l\lr/)' ;.L11 th~ Irrigation \\a.
<br />tcr in lill' count} \1 as loo]d t{l IIlClwpl']-
<br />itan :lrcas," Kinard said.
<br />Thl' pwjl't..'l \\'ilS olle of IhC' bigge~1
<br />inlluences ill c'lPlliring Cr<'I\\II.") Coun-
<br />I} 's biggl,...t empltl}W a~ \\dL
<br />'"We newr would hiln' gOllen the pri....
<br />011 in Crov.It'} ifil W;l:-n't fllr the Fr)ing-
<br />pan,Ark:ms<ls." hl' SOliJ. "One' of the
<br />strongl.'st sdling poinb for (ltlr wunt)
<br />\\;.1.10 Ihe ilbihty to gct W;lter from lht' pro-
<br />jel..'t for the pri...on's u~..:..' .
<br />Thl' indirl'l..'t tx'lll'fib Dr thl..' llfl)j~'Ct to
<br />Itll..'a] l'omlllunilics 1ll:1)' ~c e\cn more
<br />
<br />importalll,
<br />"\\\"re abk to .ldJ two more \\akr
<br />:-UPpltl'S for irrigating fanncr:- that thl')
<br />\muldn't have had tx.ft.rl.... T('rnm)
<br />Thomp...on, SEWeD genn:!] manager,
<br />said, '-During a dwught ycar it ('an
<br />l1lakl' thl' dlH'crcncc bch\Cl'n losing your
<br />crop or not and l'\Cn in ;1 gO\lfJ }Ctlf
<br />spdl.. thl' ddfcrelll'e bchh'('n l'\n:lknt
<br />and lllcdilx'rc Cfllp~:'
<br />\\'hik support fllr the projcl'1 is lolh)ng
<br />ill the- \;llk), soml' J{x'al ollkials ;nc
<br />Upsel Ihat the rl'gioll didn't t,lkc ;\
<br />stfOn!:t.'r stallce in the p:lsl
<br />"Will'lI the projl'Ct \\as llriginall} dl'-
<br />signed it ineludcd ,I piplclinl.' from Pueb-
<br />lo R\.'~enoir to Lamar, s('ning all the
<br />loca] COlllllHmitk's :J]ong the rh'l'I," Bob
<br />Tempd, I'rO\h'rlo ('(lulltl Comllli~~i()ner
<br />~:tid. "Out bJck Ihen \." thoughl $10
<br />millioll was to,) mudl mom'} ;mJ \\'l'
<br />Jidn't rea II) need Ihe \\:ltcr :11I)"a)",
<br />"Looking bal.:'L, I thinL. \\1..' rnaJe ,I oi~
<br />misl:lke not gl.'lling t.'\l.'r)Vlh: to 1ll'<.lk up
<br />to 111(' pipdine,"
<br />
|