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<br />J'~lJlJflMnll ~~~lU'ltnftt
<br />
<br />~ovember 6, 1986
<br />
<br />Vol. 101, No, 299
<br />
<br />Sterling, Colorado 80751
<br />
<br />NI
<br />00
<br />.....
<br /><;'CJ
<br />Price: 25 cenl~
<br />
<br />'Water
<br />
<br />ConUnuod /rom peeel
<br />
<br />I Some of lhe w,ler dislncts, during
<br />previous Joint meeUngs, have
<br />adopted "nreW. assessment" and
<br />I UU.5 infonnaUon wtlI be "'vallable to
<br />Watrous tor presentation to the
<br />
<br />'panel.
<br />
<br />I A complete study of the South
<br />I Pia He River Basin would be helpful,
<br />Watrous said. but fundinJC for the
<br />I undertaking - accord.Ln8 to Tre.Bd-
<br />M'ay -IS a ma}orstumbling block.
<br />Submitung river cClrnmisslonen;
<br />
<br />~~O:;,"~;I:~~~.%~;~:~g'Narrows requires cost-share'
<br />Jumbo ReservOir, Watson said.
<br />has 17,190 Bcre feel; North Sterling ~
<br />29',430 acre fed and Prewitt Reser- By J. HOWARD CROOKS
<br />VOU'19,?IJO.
<br />Sample! reported levels at Em. (Clllp'.f",e'UUI
<br />ptre Reservoir as 17,W sere ftet; A cost-sharing agreement, between sUIte and
<br />Riverside Reservoir 17,4JO acre other revenue sources, was pinpolIlted as lOp
<br />teet; Jackson reservoir 14,784 acre prlorit). in the development and construction of
<br />feet; and BiJou No, 23,900 .cre feoet. the proposed Narrows Dam site, Billy MattUl
<br />The: board authorized purcha5e of told lhe board or directors or the Lower South
<br />a S2.,89{) copying machine (rom Jour" Platte Water Conservancy D~tnct Tuesday.
<br />naL ()(hce Supply. The regional director of lhe Bureau o{
<br />ReclamatIon, headquartered in 8lUings, Monl.,
<br />stressed the priority and urged watt'r dislricls 10
<br />be "SUIe that sLale and local inlerest are unifIed
<br />to move forward on the proJect."
<br />Another J.ssue that has to be solved, accordine
<br />to Martin, 1s the habitat of endangered .species -
<br />specificaUy the whooping crane - and knowl\lng
<br />tile posttion of the "new Colorado ad[nlnistrll.-
<br />lion."
<br />Martln lold the directors Ihe estunaled cost at
<br />the Narrows project, based 00 the: October J986
<br />price level, is $-t06 mHlion, with a cost cedIng of
<br />$272 m.llLion, leaVing 8 defiCit of .1)4 million that
<br />wowd also haVE: to IJe adLlressed m a cosbhanng
<br />agreement"
<br />The cost ceiling ls the mcrease in engineering
<br />indel arrived at uncer the authorization of the
<br />project in 1960, ltobrtin elplained.
<br />Areas ot cosl-sharUlg agrecmenls, Martin con.
<br />linued, would be tees asses:.ed agflcultural, in-
<br />dustrial, municipal U5ers and all agreement bet.
<br />ween non-federal inleresLs and the fl"derdl
<br />govenunenl.
<br />The bottom line, the bosl'd leamed durU\g S
<br />previous meeting, l.S ttlal federal tundinJoJ, -
<br />above Ihe cost ceiling - fol' lhe Narrows I>rojecl
<br />is non-el1S!en1.
<br />The habllal issue has been ~ thorn in the Nar-
<br />rows ProJect side for seversl years. AO.'lt"r
<br />Wtldelman or the Bureau Infonned 1he board
<br />thill represenlatives ot ColoradtJ, Wyoming and
<br />NelJra~ka -- prime Nltrrows Prolecl stllles -
<br />have been engagE:d 10 B Joinl management study
<br />01 the South PlaUe River conductlIlg tecMolojoJ,)'
<br />and lllology studies Lfl80 effort to develop a solu'
<br />tion to Ule problem.
<br />The ISSue slemmed from charge~ - back U\
<br />1980 - that the Narrows Project wa~ ",dve[!.e to
<br />the habital of birds downstr('am, mainly the
<br />whooping crane nesting .along the river in
<br />Nebrasb.
<br />"The coalition of state representatives,"
<br />
<br />
<br />NOV 1 0 1986
<br />COLORAD
<br />CONSERVAT,o WATER
<br />ON 80ARD
<br />
<br />Reagan okays projects
<br />
<br />WASIUNGTON, DC (AP) - President
<br />Reagan this week is es:pected to sign the
<br />flr~t nallon-vo'Ide water projects legislation
<br />in l6 years, legislation which wouJd include
<br />four Colorado projects.
<br />In Colorado, the acl authorizes a com.
<br />prehensive study of the depletIOn o( the
<br />Og':lllala Aquifer, a major underground
<br />w~ter system impDrtant to eight mountain
<br />and high plams states.
<br />The Weslerly Creek Flood control project
<br />in east Denver would receive $10.8 rniUJOn.
<br />The South Platte Urban FlOOd Control and
<br />dralrtinage District would pay $2.7 rnilJjon ot
<br />Ihe cost ot improvlng the channel of Wester-
<br />ly Creek. The federal government would
<br />pay the remainder.
<br />The $8 6 mtllion fountain Creek nODd con-
<br />trol pruject near Pueblo wouJd receh'e $6.3
<br />milljon in federal funding.
<br />Another prOVISion would alter the opera-
<br />lIOn of Chlittlleld Lake near Denver to pro-
<br />vide a greater emphasis on conservation
<br />and the >BIt" or waler to industry aod cities.
<br />
<br />State mulls regulations
<br />
<br />Dt-:NVEK (API - New - but ""'atered
<br />down - protections for Colorado's ground.
<br />W.Iller supplies will become law DcC'. 1
<br />roJluwin~ d year ot d€."bate on the controvC'r-
<br />.slalls.sue.
<br />The sLllte Waler Quality Coolrol Commis-
<br />sum Ill'S "'bl'~cd ta complete the nt:w regula-
<br />Ilorts by Nov. 14, give tnterested industries a
<br />week 10 comment and then adopt the regula-
<br />tlonsonf)ec. I.
<br />
<br />Weldclman explained. "has bf'P.1l stud)'ing this
<br />1."Slle iJS wdl a!> thai 01 oUll'r endangt'ft'd :.pt'ClCS
<br />wthl'Drca."
<br />Mortll\ urged lhe board tu con!'.ider 8mendm~
<br />or revlt'WIJl~ the reparment contract. The 1976
<br />contract called for $~.i5 per acre foot of water
<br />asscs.sed users, but several months ago the
<br />Hurcau and Department of Inlf"rior htked the fee
<br />
<br />to $1:t-40, a move steadfastly oppos~ by \.he
<br />LSPWClJ.
<br />"The '76 prtce lSO't tn. the cards," Martin said,
<br />"it just isn't gOUlg to work and is nol in line with
<br />markettng water under current conditions."
<br />Before the Narrows Project could begm, he
<br />sLated, a master plan would be desired, wi[h
<br />cost-share agreements and repayment conlr~ct
<br />maJor ilems of need.
<br />^slu."r1 about the "sIte (Narrowsl being perma-
<br />nent," Martin said "if you mean sile SpecUIC, our
<br />solJcitor has sea {'('hed the LSSue and told tht"
<br />Bureau 111111" site i.s changed, the proposal would
<br />have to go back to Congress for re.
<br />autilorization. "
<br />With regard to establishing user fres .nd
<br />marketing 'ilia-leI', MarUn inlonn~ lht: board
<br />tilat "you. would Ilave to ~view nisting
<br />authorization terms regarding possible
<br />changes. ..
<br />Prior to the Bureau's presentation, tht board
<br />discussed the need for cooperation from "all four
<br />water districts in seeking an overaU surveyor
<br />the South Platte River Basin"
<br />Sounding the need was u;rw(...""D Prtsidtnl
<br />Steve Tc-eadway, noting the withJn the B-.sisl, "7~
<br />to 80 percent of the population is located
<br />slimulating future growth Including
<br />agricultural, industrial and mumcipal."
<br />Treadw$Y noted the Basin extends trom the
<br />Continental Divide on the wesl, to Wyorn.iJ18 on
<br />the north and to Fairplay on the south. He added
<br />the ellY and Counl)' of Denver should be I.tlclurle-d
<br />lnthestud)'.
<br />The four water IDstnl.'ts working togelher
<br />would be the l..5PWCD, Central, North Cenlral
<br />and Cache la Poudre.
<br />An overaU study ot the bum, water manage-
<br />ment and drafting a comprehensive plan regar.
<br />dmg the future possibilities of the basin would be
<br />valuable, Trt"adway saId, and could be useful to
<br />a Blue Pri.nt Panel probi.ng several Colorado pro-
<br />blems in an effort to hnd solutions.
<br />"Doc" Watrous of Brush,.!t panel member, ex.
<br />plaint"d some- of lhr ke-y stud)' nus in('Jurl~
<br />l'du<:allon, w8l~r, transport.atl(1R and economu:
<br />development.
<br />"However, whal the vanel necds ill preparing
<br />m!(IrTTlation for presentation to the leglslafure,"
<br />Watrous Slressed, "ilre tacts, not generalities."
<br />Plea..se see W A"fER pase"
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