<br />ThE DENVER POST
<br />
<br />4 Colorado projects in landmark water act
<br />
<br />By Gary Schmitz
<br />O"n.l:' PO~IWdSnln\lIOnBur.iU
<br />PH'sldem Heagan this wee" IS
<br />e).l,l.:cted \0 sign the ilrsl nalion.
<br />....Ide .....al~r projects legislation In
<br />16ycilrs
<br />The landmark measure breaks
<br />an Impasse over how federal, state
<br />and local governments ""ill dmde
<br />up the costs 01 nood conlrol and
<br />other wlllcr systems '01'" years 10
<br />come.
<br />The Water Resources De\'clop-
<br />m~nl Act of 19b6 i:luthonzl::s some
<br />.16 billion worth o( future harbor
<br />
<br />and shoreune ImprO\'cments, flood
<br />cOlllrol i:lnd related canSlruCllan
<br />acro!;.s the rounlry - including
<br />lour long.delayed projects U1 Colo-
<br />rado.
<br />Il also establishes cost.shanng
<br />formulas lor aU projects 10 be bUllt
<br />by the Army Corvs of Engineers,
<br />the agency thai builds and oper-
<br />ales federal walerway and flood
<br />control systems.
<br />Most maSSlye dams and irriga-
<br />tIOn systems of the tntt-nor West
<br />are ov~rseen by th~ Bureau of
<br />Rcdiimalion iind ar~ nol rncluded
<br />
<br />m Ihe acl Reagan Is to sign.
<br />However, the acl's complex en.
<br />lena lor asslgrung costs to fe<leriil
<br />and local sponsors Is likely 10 set a
<br />precedent lor those tradltional
<br />Western water projects as .....1.'1.1. II
<br />also IS expected to bolster Ihe
<br />Reagan ad.muusttalion's goal of 111.
<br />creasl11g non.lederallwuling lor all
<br />such work.
<br />~ I n general, the act provides that
<br />local beneflcianes of noocl control
<br />projects will have to pil)' a miN.
<br />mum 01 25 percent and a maxi.
<br />mum of 50 percent of a lederiil
<br />
<br />proJect's lotal pnce tag.
<br />CuI. S'cv~n G Wbt, commander
<br />0' thl: cOfll" dl,.trlct oHlct' in Oma.
<br />ha, nut~d WetJnesdiiy thal Con.
<br />gress sllll mllSt make- a speCifiC ap-
<br />(lropn<iuun lur ('ach proJt'cl.
<br />Wesl praised th~ authOrization
<br />meal>ure as "3 new and realistic
<br />charter" for a continued federal
<br />program of .....aler project con.
<br />structiUn dunng a time of "fiscal
<br />aUslerlly"
<br />In Colorado, the acl authorizes a
<br />comprehenSJve study or the deple-
<br />lion of Ihe Ogallal&. Aqwler, a ma-
<br />
<br />3-FORT MORGAN, COLO. TIMES, WEONESOAf, NOVEMBER 5, 1986
<br />
<br />jor underground water system 1m.
<br />portant to eight mountaJn and high
<br />plains states.
<br />Under current plans, $13 mlLlJon
<br />Will be spent annually from 1987
<br />through 1991 Lo develop water con.
<br />servatlon measures deSIgned to re-
<br />plenish the below. ground reser.
<br />voir. SLates and other local
<br />sponsors would contnbute 25 per-
<br />cenl or the cost of the research and
<br />conservation program.
<br />The Westerly Creek nood con.
<br />trol project III east Denver .....ould
<br />receive S10.8 million. The Soulh
<br />
<br />Platte Urban Flood Conlrol and
<br />DraInage DIstriCt ....:ould pay S27
<br />nullion of the cosl 01 Improving tht:
<br />channel of Westerly Creek. WIth
<br />the federal go\'ernment paymg lhe
<br />rtmal11der.
<br />The S8 6 mlLlJon Fountalfi Creek
<br />nood control project near Pueblo
<br />would receive $,6.3 m1.l.lJon in feder-
<br />al funding. Another prOVISion
<br />would aller the operation of Chat-
<br />field Lake near Dcn\'er Lo pronde
<br />a greater emphaSIS on conserva-
<br />Lion and sales of water Lo Industry
<br />and cities.
<br />
<br />Narrows Contracts Between 2 Districts, Bureau Unresolved
<br />
<br />CoSI :,h;'(Ing ..no resolulIon of en
<br />ddngf::red spl-cics concerns appear to be
<br />the lup p(loritle~ for the U.S. Bureau of
<br />Hecl..mallOll on the Narrow:. Resoer.
<br />\'olr. bUl contracts between the bureau
<br />and '.....0 .... ..ler districts Cuntlnue to be
<br />unr~ulv"l.l.
<br />l'uoda) al a meeting of directors of
<br />one uf those agencies, the Lo..'er South
<br />Pliil!.. Waler Con:.ervanc)' Dlstrlcl m
<br />
<br />......,
<br />~
<br />0)
<br />N
<br />
<br />Sterling, bureau R~glOnal Direclor
<br />Billy Marlm discussed the Niirrows
<br />withdlrcctors.
<br />The Times nas received reporlS that
<br />sLiited resolve of dlreclors to pursue
<br />t976 contracts willi the bureau is less
<br />IhanunanlmUUS.
<br />l:iureau officials indicathl 10 Lower
<br />Soulh PlaUe and Central Water Con.
<br />servancy Dlstnct offiCials in the filII of
<br />
<br />19115 thatlhose contracts would nol be
<br />acceptable to the bureau, a poSition
<br />MartlnreJteratedTuesdil.Y.
<br />Central has had its conlrac! ratified
<br />in court; the Lower Soulh Platte, which
<br />would receive the bulk of Narrows
<br />water,hil.snol
<br />An)' deciSIOn on whether to go to court
<br />for such ratification WIll probably await
<br />a Jan. 5 deadline Ule board has
<br />
<br />established for VOlt!ntial Narrows
<br />wah:r users 10 rllllfy subconlracts,
<br />Gar)' Fnchiiuf, sLo{'retary.manragt'r of
<br />lh~ Lower South Plllll" Di~'lnC't. sdid.
<br />If th(:re lire enuugh subcontracts 10
<br />meet the 1!I76 terms. the deciSIOn on
<br />....heth"r tu go to cuurt for rallllCaUOn
<br />\IIuukl [hell lac~ (h~ board, Fnehau[
<br />added.
<br />He stated thai he has about 100 such
<br />subcontracts with about ~ more to go
<br />However. he add~d. "We.re on lhe
<br />ihortsideondcre.l~eL
<br />About 60,000 acre-feel net"d 10 be
<br />l.'ommllled;aboul28,lJOOare.
<br />Slgmng North Sterling. he noted.
<br />would add about 27,000 acre-f~et to !h~
<br />totalcommllted.
<br />"I (hmk Jan. 5 is the time when
<br />alternatives, if any, would be
<br />dISCUS~ed. and I .....ouldn'l want to
<br />speculate," Fnehauf said of lhe con.
<br />IracL'ltuation.
<br />"I guess the bottom line is the bt'st
<br />deal wecilncut,"heobst'rved
<br />N..gotliltions on possible new water
<br />contracts between officials of the
<br />bureau and lhe t~'o dlstricls got un-
<br />der.....a)' mOctober, 198:', bul therehavt'
<br />t:l-en nO~P:!iSIOnS since lasl spring.
<br />Those session:, may be on !.he back
<br />burner .....hile the bureau concentrates
<br />on the resolution of the endangered
<br />species situation and on cosl-sharing
<br />arrangements. Friehaufmdlcaled.
<br />The bureau, ttlarlln said, IS now
<br />sellrchlflg for agreements on habltill
<br />r"qulrements and management
<br />proposals acceptable 10 those invoh'ed.
<br />Orricials of Colorado, Nebraska,
<br />W)'ommg, federal agent:i~s ilmJ ~n.
<br />VlrOllmenlal j;l,roups arc m\oh'cd lfl a
<br />
<br />
<br />~p..1t~
<br />CO\.ORP-~~O~ '30r-~O
<br />~'stR"r-
<br />CO,, ,
<br />
<br />nver basin stud)'
<br />Martin pomled to anolher priority for
<br />lhe bureau - geltmg Ih~ :!.lal(' or local
<br />go...ernments or olher enlillt's such as
<br />municipahties and industries to share
<br />up-front costs.
<br />The prOject geared for an area
<br />norlh.....est of F'OrL Morgan would C05I
<br />$4Ofi million in OClober, 1986, dollar
<br />figures. Martin indica Led.
<br />The 1.2 million acre.foot total
<br />capacity would produce an annual }'Ield
<br />of about 9S,00CJ 10 100,000 acre-feet of
<br />,.ne....... water Iwaler ucluding ex is ling
<br />fights of such enlities as the Weldon
<br />Ditch that would be acquired for
<br />Narrows). according to figures
<br />discussed Tuesda....
<br />Concerning sta.te.level cosl sharing
<br />on .....ater projects. Friehauf said that
<br />state legislators .....ould need specifics
<br />on locatIOns of projects, dollar figures,
<br />volume of WOller and needs 10 be sup-
<br />plied.
<br />In another matter Warren "Doc.'
<br />Watrous of iJrush discussed wl1h
<br />dIrectors a Colorado Associalion of
<br />Commerce and Industry blueprint
<br />commltlee. He is on the .....aler sub.
<br />committee for lhe blue-print project,
<br />whIch is to gi...e legislators an Idea of
<br />what people in CACI would tikI.' 10 st'e
<br />on the General Asscmbly's agcnd3
<br />Watrous indicaled thaI the walfr
<br />subcommiuee's initial material
<br />focused on the Colorado Hivt'r l:iasin,
<br />IInd l...o.....erSOuthPJalleoFflclillsJ'13ntu
<br />get him matenal on the propost' South
<br />Platte River basm sludy 8nd oth~r
<br />mformation to mclud~ m the sub.
<br />comml\tet' report
<br />SIeve Tre<ld.....i1y. bO<lrd pre:.idt'nt,
<br />reportcd on a South Pia ILl' Wdter User:.
<br />Coalition ml'~lmG hdel n.colnlly in
<br />Sterlingat.....hlchilcombm8tionsc......ge
<br />lrcalm~nl plant and rccharg~
<br />augmentation proJ('ct the Cll}' of
<br />Sterhnghas.....aspresl.[I1ed.
<br />The group IS to ml'ellll Loveland Nov
<br />2; .....lth Ihe river basm managemenl
<br />study to be the tOpiC.
<br />Also commg up I!< II fall ......:lter \J5~r,.
<br />m\'('tmg co'''von-.orl;'(\ by th\. co,;J!lllon
<br />amI nil' l\"orll"'rn (",;lor,,,I.. \\""1"1'
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />ConservancY Dislflct No~' 18 at 11'30
<br />a.m. al thc.do.....nto.....n Holiday Inn'ln
<br />Greele)".
<br />Tuesday II .....as reporled that Nor. ,I,'
<br />therndell\'eredal>.lut270000acre-ft'el
<br />approxlmatel)" lJo.OOOof it non-chari:,t':
<br />during thepasllrrigationseason.
<br />River commISSIoners. repvrts
<br />showed a flow of about !I8,OOO acre-feel
<br />past the Kersey gauge and 26,000 at the
<br />SLiile line m October with Kersey
<br />r(:glsterlng aboul 1,340 cubiC feet per
<br />second Tutsdav and the stalehneilMut
<br />3,;odsFrida)'.'
<br />ApprOXImate reservoir levels
<br />reponed Tuesday .....ere: Empire li,8:l8
<br />acre-feet. Riverside 17.41D, JacksOR
<br />H,71lO. Bijou No.2 3.900, Prewitt 19.~OO,
<br />North ,sterhng 29.430 and Julesburg
<br />17.190
<br />The board also approved $2,B9~ for a
<br />cop)'lng machine, i1.....arding the con.
<br />tract t" Journal Olflct' Supply of
<br />Sterlin&oasedfollprlceandfe8tures
<br />
<br />!
<br />
<br />,.
<br />
<br />j
<br />!
<br />
<br />I
<br />I
<br />!
<br />
<br />_---", I
<br />
|