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<br />WATER DEVELOPMENT VS. ENDANGERED FISH
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<br />c.c.'.IJl"'~""owI
<br />"Qo'" v<<"~'
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<br />Whither objectivity?
<br />
<br />A Colorado fly fisherman, I object to
<br />the editorializing statement in the news
<br />story "Impasse imperils water supply"
<br />(June 29) that many fishermen think of
<br />the endangered species as "trash fish,"
<br />This is opinion interjected as if it were
<br />truth.
<br />The real truth is that these fish are
<br />very important to the ecosystem of the
<br />river and to our quality of life. I would
<br />het most fly fishers know this and ap-
<br />preciate biological diversity as essen-
<br />tial to the well-being of Colorado's
<br />fisheries.
<br />Where is the objective reporting?
<br />How about reporting that the current
<br />flows on the South Platte River above
<br />Cheesman Reservoir are the lowest in
<br />y~ars? Flows in the Eleven Mile Can~
<br />yon section of the South Platte have
<br />been down to less than 37 cubic feet per
<br />second, harely enough to sustain trout
<br />populations there. The Denver Water
<br />Board recently took control of this
<br />heavily used recreation area, and the
<br />flows have dropped dramatically since.
<br />They manage the canyon as a water re-
<br />source only, without regard for the eco-
<br />system or the people who use it for re-
<br />creation.
<br />
<br />GERRY LEE
<br />Colorado Springs
<br />
<br />Heedless waste
<br />
<br />It is only mid-morning and already
<br />getting very warm. I look outside niy
<br />apartment and can see wet pavement
<br />even though it hasn't rained for days.
<br />This is a result of either overwatering
<br />or water intended for thirSty bluegrass
<br />that somehow missed the target. This
<br />occurs almost every day.
<br />After all these years of talking about
<br />
<br />water conservation, Lakewood and oth-
<br />er communities still do very little to
<br />prevent the waste of millions of gallons
<br />of water each and every day, I then
<br />wonder what "needs of the people" Pe-
<br />ter Evans of the Colorado Water Con-
<br />servation Board is talking about when
<br />he says he intends to put people ahead
<br />of trying to prevent the extinction of
<br />endangered fish. Do the "needs of the
<br />people" that should be put ahead ,of en-
<br />dangered species inciude the greed and
<br />stupidity to waste water whenever
<br />desired?
<br />
<br />WAYNE J. WATHEN
<br />Lakewood
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<br />End 'grow and grab'
<br />
<br />Nobody's water supply is threatened
<br />here. The federal limitations proposed
<br />for the Colorado River are upon future
<br />water development, not currently used
<br />supplies. Denver Water Board manager
<br />Chips Barry's statement, "People don't
<br />understand that a policy designed to
<br />preserve owls and polar bears may
<br />, shut off the flows to their faucets," is a
<br />baldly patronizing falsehood, Limiting
<br />water development to support aquatic
<br />species will not dry up any faucets now
<br />in place.
<br />
<br />The diversions of water like those
<br />upon which Deliver-area communities '
<br />depend have setyed Colorado's growth
<br />'and economic cd~velopment well for
<br />nearly 150 yeatt The limit to which
<br />that process may be taken without
<br />harming Coloradans throughout the
<br />rest of the state has very nearly been
<br />reached, however. In the absence of a
<br />statewide water resource management
<br />policy (as, advocated by such radical
<br />water activists as Wayne Aspinall), the
<br />division between Denver and the rest of
<br />the state will likely only widen unless
<br />
<br />1//1.,/97
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<br />i'__.,
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<br />Front Range communities abandon
<br />their "grow and grab" approach to wI!:- 'c'. i
<br />ter resource management. l ."',. ':
<br />The squawfish, chuhs and suckers Hilt:: 0 ,
<br />as well as the Greenhack CutthroabrC ' "
<br />1'rout and bald eagle - are part 'ok, ' ,1
<br />America's heritage and worthy of profOC i
<br />tection from excessive human predatlrIt1' ' t
<br />tion. Balancing demands for urban wa""~' ':'
<br />ter use, agriculture and conserving .1;, '1
<br />'wildlife in the arid West will requlre2 .., "\
<br />compromises from each. . 'SlI1!J['~'~' -,~
<br />KEN CLARK,,,": .. ,;
<br />Fort LuptoAiJ' ' ~
<br />.If J.'!..: 'f
<br />Wrong headline .!"'i",: '0 "
<br />"\lID .. ~ ,
<br />"Impasse imperils water supply"? JL:: ' ;'
<br />would be more accurate, and less bb,;c : ;;
<br />ased, to say "Devel~pment imperils'IT:,' ;
<br />water supply," as th~ !mpasse between,rl.i <
<br />federal and loca! offiCials has potent\i\lt 'f: . !
<br />only for preservIng water. The sad 3Il<-"~,, \'
<br />pect is that, while average citize'l~ 9~'" t
<br />overwhelmingly support limiting q@-hF,' I
<br />velopment,Denver. Water, various d!;j:nc':' '
<br />velopment agencies and personne!rH,; I
<br />(such as Chips Barry and his sarcas9cio<, '
<br />~fere!lce to "owls and. polar .bears;:~ "c, i
<br />give lip service to quality-of-life con~i,"Y < l.
<br />ce~s while preservingll!e pro-growthij",': 'j',
<br />busmess~as.usual mentahty. . ~'H;,! .
<br />, The "people," to whom Mr. Barry:ll~'J . ,
<br />and Mr. Evans refer as being more im,mi , !
<br />portant than wildlife, are,individualst;'." ' .
<br />existing only in the ininds 'of develo!l"Jc';'
<br />ers, campaign-fund-raising politicians~jT" , :,
<br />and water planners. The real citizens of " j .:
<br />Colorado would be better served if offi! h"; ; ,I,
<br />cials showed some political will by em,; S" : J
<br />bracing the federal standards as a way,.,:;: t
<br />of protecting our natural resources, as ,>" ,
<br />well as putting the brakes on rampant, '"j' I-
<br />'parasitic development. " z': ' '
<br />HARV TEITELBAUM <; ,
<br />Evergree~ 7. ~~.
<br />,j ~~; I
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<br />RECEIVED
<br />JUl 2 0 1998
<br />
<br />Colorado Water
<br />Consorvation 8u.:>.rd
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