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<br />The Steamboat Pilot: Sides discuss water rights <br /> <br />000222 <br /> <br />Page 2 of2 <br /> <br />"Anyone with any interest in the Yampa River and the water in the Yampa River should come hear this presentation," <br />former council member Ken Brenner said. <br /> <br />Brenner has kept the issue of recreational water rights before the council ever since the Supreme Court ruling in May. <br /> <br />Unlike the Golden, Vail and Breckenridge cases, a state law passed in 2001 would require Steamboat to first appear <br />before the Colorado Water Conservation Board to acquire water rights. That board would then make a <br />recommendation to the water courts. <br /> <br />Pueblo, Upper Gunnison and Longmont have applications pending under the new law. <br /> <br />Porzak said the battle over recreational water rights is really a fight over what shape the future of Colorado will take <br />and pits the old West against the new West. <br /> <br />Recreational water rights challenge the old west mentality of diverting water for agriculture or power generating <br />uses, he said. <br /> <br />"That is why this is attracting so much attention and why the state is (fighting) so hard for each one. They are trying <br />to make it so expensive for municipalities, to deter municipalities from moving forward. And the potential benefits (to <br />the municipality) are huge," he said. <br /> <br />-- To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229 <br /> <br />or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com <br /> <br />Copyright [) 2002 The Steamboat Pilot, all rights reserved <br />Visit us at http://www.steamboatpilot.com <br /> <br />http://www.steamboatpilot.comlsection! archi ve/storypr/18 71 7 <br /> <br />4/2312004 <br />