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<br />DoloreJ WateNbeiJ - Continu.eiJ from Page 1 <br /> <br />degradation to wildlife and habitat. The boaters argue that the reservoir would decrease the amount of water spilled. <br />But, according to John Porter, this would only amount to a reduction in days of rafting about two percent of the time. <br /> <br />A Great Outdoors Colorado grant in 1998 <br />would have provided funds to make available <br />a permanent supply of 571 acre feet of water. <br />Purchasing existing water is the Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife Fishery Biologist Mike <br />Jahpet's first choice. "We were close with the <br />GOCO grant, but the boating interests pulled <br />the plug for fear that the DWCD might use <br />some of the funds to go ahead with Plateau <br />Creek reservoir," said Japhet. Most DRIP <br />members are reluctant to embark on the <br />Plateau Creek effort. Some are concerned <br />about the possibility of involved <br />environmental analysis, negotiations, and <br />litigation. But, in general they too share the <br />philosophical reluctance that a reservoir is <br />contrary to modern day environmental <br />stewardship. Another option is to lease water <br />reserved for future municipal use from the <br />DWCD. Yet, this is expensive at $112 per <br />acre foot. That would result in a $369,000 <br />yearly bill with no permanent right. Mike <br />Japhet hopes that enough water can eventually <br />be shored up from McPhee to meet the fishery <br />need, He and members of the environmental <br />community would like to see excess MVI <br />water provided to the fishety. Yet, for the MVI <br />Board members, and anyone else who has a <br />history in water development, preserving <br />water for agricultural and municipal use is <br />essential to maintaining Southwestern <br />Colorado's agricultural base and heritage. <br />Don Schwindt hopes that in this region <br />"... people can get beyond the type of <br />polarization that predominates allover the <br />West and forge a real local solution." <br /> <br />Progress on this issue will be updated in future Water Letters. , <br /> <br />Water for Everyone Tomorrow <br />Package (WETPaclc) <br /> <br />WETPack is a project of the Dolores Water Conservancy District (DWCD) <br />to meet all competing needs: agriculture, fishery, municipal, and recreation. <br />Several options have been identified: <br /> <br />An additional 4,000 acres will be irrigated in the Yellow Jacket and <br />Pleasant View areas of Montezuma County. As a result primarily of <br />better water management and conservation practices, water has been <br />conserved and sold to the DWCD from MVI. 59 landowners representing <br />13,000 acres stood up when asked if they were interested in receiving an <br />allocation of water. Through an eight million dollar loan from the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board, water will be delivered via the Dolores Project <br />canals. <br /> <br />3,300 acre feet of additional water is needed to maintain the quality <br />fishing waters below McPhee Dam. Currently the fishery is allocated <br />33,200 acre feet. Over 15 alternatives have been looked at to get the <br />additional water needs met. The most feasible to date is construction of a <br />six million dollar reservoir at Plateau Creek. So far, fund raising efforts <br />have been unsuccessful. The report is available on the Trout Unlimited <br />website at www.tu.org <br /> <br />Recreational boaters want a stable spill from McPhee to ensure a <br />certain number of boatable days each year. While not a solution desired <br />by all, cloud seeding will occur this year to increase McPhee's water supply, <br />and therefore its spill. Boaters fear that a new reservoir at Plateau Creek <br />could reduce the water available for boating and therefore hurt the sport. <br />Though according to past Dolores River inflows, scenarios in which a <br />new reservoir would significantly hurt boating will occur about 2 times in <br />a 60 year period. Tom Klema, representative for commercial boaters, says <br />that each day commercial boating is unavailable means the loss of revenue <br />for local economy. He promises continued opposition to <br />WETPack by boaters. , <br /> <br />DiJ You Know? <br /> <br />Just 1 percent of the entire water supply <br />in the world is available for human use. <br />The rest is salty or locked in ice caps <br />and glaciers. <br /> <br />People drink only about 1 percent of all <br />treated water. The rest goes on lawns, <br />in washing machines and down toilets <br />and drains. <br /> <br />Hearing onAnima.J River - <br />Continu.eiJ from Page 2 <br /> <br />Animas Group has been so successful that they are involved <br />in developing spin-off groups in other parts of the <br />Four Corners. <br /> <br />To learn more about the Animas Stakeholders Group or <br />the up-coming hearing go to their website at <br />www.waterinfo.org/arsg/ or contact Bill Simon at <br />wsimon@frontier.net, , <br /> <br />3 <br />