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<br />the other side, a private marina operator and the county parks department are frustrated and looking for <br />answers. <br /> <br />This could lead to efforts to recognize recreation as an official priority of the Colorado-Big Thompson <br />project, which includes Horsetooth and other reservoirs. When Congress approved the project in 1937, the <br />defined purposes were to provide water for agriculture and municipaVindustrial use and to generate <br />power. Kara Lamb, spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation which owns the C-BT facilities, noted <br />that recreation is nowhere in those defined purposes. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Gary Buffington, director of Larimer County Parks and Open Space, countered that the Bureau can't <br />ignore the fact that recreation is a part of the project, and that Horsetooth's recreational amenities are a <br />huge part of the community, both from an economic and a quality-of-life standpoint. <br /> <br />Glen Werth, owner of Inlet Bay Marina at Horsetooth, said he would like to amend the 1937 bill to <br />include recreation as a third priority of the C-BT project. Both Buffington and Werth said they recognize <br />the importance of agriculture and the municipalities when it comes to water priorities. However, they <br />would both like to see the reservoir start out with as much water as possible in the spring. <br /> <br />Bureau officials blame this year's reservoir levels on weather and demand. This past winter, there was <br />considerable optimism through March, with above-average snowpack in the mountains. Precipitation <br />came to a halt in April, however, and stream runoff was extremely low. With severe drought conditions <br />on the plains, ag demands for water started early in the spring. <br /> <br />Although the reservoir started the season close to its average depth, the situation deteriorated rapidly. <br />Demand remained high, and water began leaving the reservoir much faster than it entered. In July, the <br />water level at Horsetooth was dropping more than a foot a day. Werth called a meeting on July 24 to <br />discuss the situation with bureau and county parks officials, and about 80 marina customers showed up <br />for the gathering. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />About a week later, conditions at the reservoir began to improve, but Bureau officials said it had nothing <br />to do with the meeting. A big factor in the improvement, according to Lamb, was that Carter Lake finally <br />reached its target level, so managers could run more West Slope water to Horsetooth. Ag demand also <br />slowed down. As a result, dire predictions of a short season at the marina did not materialize, and Werth <br />said he was grateful for that. However, some marina customers had already pulled their large boats from <br />the reservoir because of water concerns in July. <br /> <br />Looking ahead to future summer seasons, Werth said he wants to address the long-range priority issue at <br />the reservoir. <br /> <br />In terms of changing C-BT legislation to include recreation as a priority, Bureau Eastern Colorado <br />Manager Fred Ore said it would likely be a difficult process because of the impact on already-established <br />priorities, namely ag/municipal needs and power generation. <br /> <br />South Platte Forum Scheduled: The 17th Annual South Platte Forum entitled "From the Gold Rush to <br />the Urban Crush - The Past, Present and Future of the South Platte River" will be held October 25-26 at <br />the Radisson Conference Center in Longmont. For information on scheduled events and registration <br />information, contact Jennifer Brown, South Platte Forum Coordinator at 402-426-0362 or E-mail <br />iennifer@iibrown.com <br /> <br />Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Meetings: These meetings are held the second Friday <br />of every month, held at the Loveland office. For more information visit www.ncwcd.org <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />28 <br />