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<br />Richard Q'Connell- Executive Director of the Logan County Economic <br />Development Corp, <br />Their need is for a predictable factor in this problem, Existing businesses, <br />farmers and ranchers need to plan on an available water source and if they <br />cannot predict it and plan on it, they delay their plans. Uncertainty is the enemy <br />of economic development and he urged the Task Force to improve and increase <br />predictability of water resources in Logan County and surrounding areas, <br /> <br />Harry Wickman - Harmony <br />Give the State Engineer more discretionary power, He referenced a case <br />from the Supreme Court in the early 1900's, Hinderleider vs, La Plata and also a <br />quote by Justice Hobbs regarding appropriation of the South Platte River, Asked <br />if a Task Force is necessary to keep the system going or to discuss <br />compensation for damage that has been done to the river over the years, <br /> <br />Roni Sylvester - Mother and wife and a person interested in keeping agriculture <br />in Colorado <br />Requests include the following: do an audit of the South Platte River, it <br />was requested a year ago and has not been done; the ESA in Nebraska on the <br />North Platte has no play on the water problem in Colorado and requested that <br />the Task Force not recognize the organizations and cottage industries that have <br />cropped up to collect money for the ESA; there is an imbalance on landscaping <br />requirements, need to determine how much acreage can be taken out of <br />production because of water used for something else; she invited all 25 Task <br />Force members for a field trip on her farm where they will have two engineers <br />(Bob Longenbaugh and Chuck Leaf) who will discuss hands-on way of <br />understanding how the river operates, <br /> <br />Chris Metherd - Farmer in the Wiggins area <br />His well was shut off. He agrees with Don Chapman and Tom Cech on <br />how to come to some solutions so they can continue to farm, A group (Orphan <br />Wells of Wiggins, formerly GASP wells) of about 30 farmers borrowed nearly $1 <br />million from CWCB to put the plan together and build an infrastructure; attorneys <br />and engineers are getting rich on this; something that he bought and thought he <br />owned was taken away from him, <br /> <br />Lance Kauffman - Well user in Morgan County <br />Diversion systems are all antiquated, the ditch systems can take a lot <br />more water than they are, the diversion structures need to be reconstructed to fill <br />sooner and take call off system. Need state or federal money to replace <br />diversions and get canals fixed, Something needs to be done to get water back <br />to the Front Range from the West Slope, and more states will take Colorado's <br />water if nothing is done about it. Need more storage projects to capture excess <br />water in wet years, Depletions cannot be replaced, <br /> <br />- 7 - <br />