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<br />030224 <br /> <br />lne "teamboat .PIlot: :Sldesd.1scuss water rights <br /> <br />Page 1 of2 <br /> <br />The Steamboat Pilot <br /> <br />ARCHIVED STORIES <br /> <br />advertisement <br /> <br />Sides discuss water rights <br /> <br />. Unknown position. <br /> <br />By Christine M.etz, Staff Reporter <br /> <br />Tuesday, August 19, 2003 <br /> <br />STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - Two lawyers will discuss the <br />pros and cons of pursuing recreational water rights at <br />tonight's City Council meeting. <br /> <br />For the last three n:Jonths, the city lias been.researching the <br />possibility of filing for recrea~ional water rights, which would <br />preserVe in-stream water flows through downtown Steamboat. ,. .. .. <br /> <br />The city will hear from Glenn Porzak, who represented the towns of Golden, Vall and -Breckenridge in front of the <br />Coloraqo Supreme Court. In a 3-3 decision, the state Supreme Court recognized recreational water rights for those <br />towns. <br /> <br />Porzak plans to discuss how the town benefits from those rights, what was involved In court trials and appeals to . <br />acquire them and how the law has changed since then. <br /> <br />"I'll talk about what are the similarities and differences, what they would likely encounter if they would go the route <br />of securing recreational water rights and I will give them the background having been through this war myself," <br />Porzak said. <br /> <br />Tom Sharp will also make a presentation to the council. The local attorney is on the board of the Upper Yampa <br />Conservancy District and the Colorado River Water Conservation District. <br /> <br />City Attorney Tony Lettunich said Sharp has generally opposed fiUng for recreational water rights. <br /> <br />"Everybody has different views on what the council should do. (The council) wants as much Information (as possible) <br />on the two different sides," lettunichsaid. <br /> <br />The city's water attorney, who Lettunich described as haVing a more middle-of-the-road view on recreational water <br />rights, is also expected at tonight's meeting. . <br /> <br />Proponents of recreational water rights said they would protect the river habitat and provide the water needed for <br />kayaklng, fishing and tubing. In the last tWo yearsr the city has spent close to $100,000 on Improvements to the <br />Yampa River. <br /> <br />Under the state's first-in-time, first-In-right water law, recreational water rights would allow the city to get its foot in <br />the door to ensure water continues to flow through Steamboat at the same levels It does today. <br /> <br />Recreational water rights would protect the city's stream flow from being drained by future development upstream, <br />but they would not guarantee the city always has all the water It might want. <br /> <br />Older water rights existing upstream mean that during droughts, such as the one last summer, the city may not get <br />all the water it requests. And in most wet years, the river would far exceed the city's requested levels. <br /> <br />Concerns have been expressed that recreational water rights could encourage sham kayak courses to be built in <br />towns on the state border, sending water over the state lines and limiting water uses in the state. <br /> <br />htto:/ /www.steamboatoilot.com/sectionlarchive/storvor/18717 <br /> <br />4/2112004 <br />