WSP12262 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

to"" -t .-i .-j (ROCKY MOUNTAIN ~WS, JAN. 12, 1977) LAMM SUGGESTS FOUR t<lATJR PROJECTS TO AID AGRICULTURZ (By Richard J. Schneider) In a far-reaching statement on state water policy, the Lamm administration has said construction of four western Colorado water projects is necessary to make sure agriculture gets the water instead of energy or industrial developments. Last week, Gov. Dick Lamm's top advisers said that U. S. Bureau of Reclamation funding of the irrigation projects provided "a unique opportunity to cOlllllit water to agricultural use." If the projects aren't built, 'Jwe are inescapably drawn to a con- clusion that funding for full utilization of Colorado's water will occur instead through private investment, primarily for energy related deve lopment," his advisers said. The policy is outlined in a seven-page report by Lamm' s cabinet- level Planning and Courdinating Council which endorses the proposed Savery-Pot Hook Project because it would "stabilize and increase" agri- cultural production north of Craig. By helping agriculture, the irrigation project insures a "healthy" diversification of the local economy, which is rapidly centering on energy development, the council said. The policy position has drawn fire this week from at least one environmental organization, the Environmental Defense Funds (EDF). A spokesman said Tuesday the state's review of Savery-Pot Hook and the other projects was inadequate and failed to consider alternative ways to achieve the same goals. THE PROJECT involves construction of two reservoirs, one in Colorad8 and one in \'lyoming, and an irrigation canal system along the border tlf the two states. It is designed to place 14,670 acres of land under irrigation and provide supplemental irrigation for another 14,330 acres. In addition, the council--comprised of some of Lamm's department heads as well as key advisers--agreed with criticism from environmen." talists that the cumulative impact of these and other western Colorado projects still isn't known. The council recOlllllE!nded that the bureau, with the aid of state officials, consider the impact of the projects on such things as the already critical salt content of the Colorado River and the loss of wildlife habitat. But the officials stopped short of demanding preparation of a compre- hensive "programmatic" environmental impact statement on all the projects before they can be built, as environmental groups had requested.