|
<br />'lA 8mtJcN Sr~ Bu.ae w-r,.lM 13, 2007 WWW.,~Slf"'LCCM
<br /> EROM THE FRONT
<br />WATER -At Ic~st hc'~ thinking a sit... wilhhl a 30.mile: radius Paper to the stltc as well as and he wants to use that
<br />lrom page 1 A about us: Sakata said. of rive major river drainages. the U.S. departments of Inte- water for his project." Curry
<br />Sen. Brandon Shaffer, f}. Millcr said he didn't believe rior. ^griculture and Energy said. She asked. ore there were
<br />lions to the wl1ter.supply crisis Longmon!, who alsll allendcd Ihere was another major sitc ^priI19. Proposals to crcate another transmountain con.
<br />fadng farmers and ranchers In the April meeting in Wiggins. in the world that could utilize wilderness and roadless areas nectlon for water to go to the
<br />northeastern Colorado. Miller said the state needs long-tenn five separate drainage basins have been presented that en- Front Range, who would get
<br />stepped up to unveil a water solutions to its water needs. for one water system. Ex. compass the same region that the water really - the fanners
<br />solution plan he's been work- "The crisis began when the pected to hold no less than 1.2 could be utilized for the Union or the cltles?"
<br />ing on for decades_ state suffered one of its worst million acre'feet, the reservoir Park reservoir.
<br />Miller. a. retire<J Air Force droughts In history beginning would easily be the largest "The Continenti I Divide
<br />colonel, is president of Natu- In 2002: Shaffer said. "When body of water In the stlte. has made us into two warring Weld County farmers
<br />ral Energy Resources Co. in South Platte River levels are MlIJer said spring runoff nations. It's unfortunate, and
<br />P:Ilmer ~ke. He said millions low, thc wells must be turned surpluses occur thc samc timc It's got to change: Miller said. continue their ~ght
<br />o( acre-feet of federally-owned off to ensure that water users surplos energy is available. .We've got a concept here that In the meantime. members
<br />water shares arr available in with higher-priority rights get essentially free. By pumping will ultimately benefit Colo- o( the Water Users Defense
<br />Colorado with no immediate their share. since the wells can during this low.peak energy, rodo and the entire Southwest Committee, comprised of ".
<br />p1a.!JS~t~ !ltiliu ~the water" re- affect river levels." period. the water could be states region." South Platte River valley farm-
<br />source. or energy which could For 30 years, the state moved to storage and then, ers and produce growers, are
<br />be produced. engineer had been able to when water was redistributed Gunnison Volley hanging their collective hats
<br />Describing a single, high- juggle the state's water supply throughout the rest of the on the governor's task force.
<br />altitude. pumped storage site to keep farmers happy and the year, the reverse flow in the opposiHon Delores Martinell pushed
<br />that would be constructed South Platte flowing. But last same pipeline Infrastructure Rep. Kathleen Curry, the local group to begin asking
<br />in the Cunnlson 8..sln, Miller year, the Colorado Supreme could be used to general peak. District 611n Gunnison. said customers to sign petitions at
<br />said the project could .sub. Court upheld a 1969 decision needs power. she Wished she could channel the local markets and infonn-
<br />stantlally Increase the produc. requiring well owners to put He anticipates private In- some of Miller's Imagination Ing the public, one person at a
<br />tlvlty of existing renewable wa ter back in to the South dustlj. would fund the project and energy into something . time.
<br />energy and water resources Platte. The tourts also ruled because o( the pQtential to that could possibly work. Brighton.area grower Deb
<br />throughout a five river-baSin that the water courts, not the generate peak power with a "I'm sure what he didn't Paliui agreed, reminding the
<br />region. state engineer, should decide return 10 times what Is gener. mention to the fanners along group that the late efforts in
<br />Optimistic but skeptical, where the water will be used ated by normal. lower.altltude the South Platte was that he the past legislative session
<br />the 4O-plus fann families on and by whom. reservoirs. only has remnants of this proj- needed to be better organized
<br />hand for the meeting at the "This would multiply eel left to work with; Curry before next year's session.
<br />Double Tree Hotel listened in. The state is Rushing the productivity of energy said. -He has taken his applica- .We need to get our tes.
<br />tently to Miller as he described throughout the West: MlUer tion to the water courts and limony organized as early as
<br />the Central Colorado Project. away water said. has been denied and the Suo possible for this task force:
<br />"We like the Idea of being Saying Colorado is not Miller said federal water preme Court returned his case Pallzzl said. The task rorce
<br />self'supportlng on the South using Its water like it should rights were set aside as the to the water courts without Is expected to hold public
<br />Platte.o Arnold Good of fort be, Miller polntl:d out that Wayne N. Aspinall Units in action. hearings this summer and
<br />Morgan said. "But we're going only 2.3 million. acre leet of a 1956, the same time as Flam- OHe has no water rights: fan before (onning any polley
<br />to stop short of saying that potential 3.7 million acre-feet Ing Gorge, Glen Canyon and Curry said. "He has a lot of vi. change to be presented to the
<br />that when water is available, In the Colorado River basin Is other WOlter storage projects sion, but no water rights." legislature next spring.
<br />we shouldn't pursue it." utilized. The rest simply flows were established by the Colo. Curry said his claimed Aspi. Behind the farmers and
<br /> out of the state. "There's no rado River Storage Project. na II connection Is a weak link working for the group, at.
<br />Water Users Defense reason for this crisis," he said. "This water is not your at best, using a footnote In a to~ey John Melneger said,
<br />begins bottle "We think this is the an' nonnal Colorado water rights prevlow Supreme Court ruling 'Cettlng the lellslature to
<br />swer (or the whole state and water: Miller explained. "The which stated there could be actually do something (or the
<br />In April, the Water Users even the down river states," Aspinall pool is federal water 240,000 acre-f<<t umccounted 2008 pumping season" Is the
<br />Defense Committee asked (or Miller said. "Jfwe can get the rights established at the same for in the AsplnalIl Unit. group's top priority.
<br />an emergency executive order people behind this, we can time as Lake Powell and these Curry explained that water 'We have to build the
<br />for a moratorium on shut. relax a little bit and not let other federal storage projects is set aside to fill Lake Powell, political infrastructure to
<br />downs placed on the farmers the prior water appropriation being developed in 1956. The which Is Colorado's water support the task force recom.
<br />wells. But Ritter denied the system just kill us." Aspinall unilli were developed, bank in the event of a drought mendatJons and restore river
<br />group's request and said the ,~e higher water Is stored, bu t they ha VI.' never been used year and the Southwestern IlWIlIgement to something
<br />task force will bring together t~e inore opportunities to use as originally intended - (or states put out a call for their reasonable. You've been work.
<br />all the parties to study the and reuse the water are pre- Colorado consumptive use." allotted water as outlined in ing under the concept that
<br />problem. sented, MlIler explained. He The idea was first brought state compacts. you expect the legislators to
<br />"This is a complex problem proposes to build the Union to the state in 198:z. In 1986, "There could be soine do the right thing. But they
<br />that requires a comprehensive Park Reservoir in west-central Miller ago in presented his water in wet years, but we respond to politJal pressure,
<br />review: Ritter said in ApriL Colorado, near Gunnison. concepts to the state. would run the risk of aggra- not the right thing: Arnold
<br />"This task foIU will bring to. "ThIs Gunnison Idea, we've "The problem is, the West vatlng storage shortages at Good said.
<br />gether all stakeholders so we been ~orklng on for a long Slope adopted a not-Qne-arop Lake Powell: Curry said. "This Realizing that most of their
<br />an explorr all options." time. Now, we're saying by policy and we've lost 20 years would only complicate and put customers are sympathetic to
<br />Bob Sakata, president of storing water at high altitude, of potential progress: Miller at risk the transmountaln wa.. the farmers' plight, the group
<br />Sakata Farms In Brighton, a we. can multiply the productlv- said. teTS, junior rights waters, that will work to have petitions
<br />major vegetable producer, said Ity. dependability and quality West Slope opposition has are used In Denver and other signed and ready to counter
<br />in April it may be too late for of whatever finite level of already begun to surface, even compacts. . see WATER
<br />some farmers. But he praised water this state has." In the short time since Miller's "Lake Powell Is our bank
<br />Ritter for taking action. Union Park would sit on tompany presented a White account, our Insurante policy page ,SA
<br />
|