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<br />6 -. Gunni~on Country Times Thursday! SepteJ"!1ber 25, 200-3. . <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />State pl~ys.water diversion card.:at R <br /> <br />A'an Wartes_ v~rsion and i~ alto.wed by rela- <br />tively new Colorado legislation. <br />It is hard to imagine sus-. .T4e law requires the ColQtado <br />pense and intr~'gue in a hearing W~ter Conservation Board to ~e... <br />over water rights for recre- . view such applications and make <br />ational boating on" the Gunni-. recommendations to the wate.r <br />son River. Yet. ~or four and a co'urt pri.or to adjudicatiori of the <br />.half days last week, arguments right.. La~t spring). the CWCB <br />.in the trial demonstrated where met ~n Gunnison and voted to <br />water is most likely to be fou~d, recommend a flow of only 270 <br />in the Wes't: at the cente.r of cfs~ Later. the.board voted to for- <br />controversy. mally oppose the application. <br />At issue. this tilne is the recent . Arguments presented by attor- <br />Upper Gunnison River Water neys fQr the CWCB in nearly a <br />Conservancy'Distnct application week of testimony centered on - <br />for the right to keep 1~500 cubic. one issue: the -potential for the <br />feet per second flowing at the, RICD right to damage the s"taters <br />Gunnison Whitewater Park d~r... ability to huild a trans-mountain <br />ing the. peak of the runoff Sf.3:- diversion project in the Upper <br />son. Th~.application req~este~. Gu.nnison basi~~ <br />smaller amounts in early' sum..: "We thought there.'You1d be a <br />mer. and fall. .the right is called lot more energy. spent on the ap-. <br />a Recreational IlJ.-Chanriel Di- plicatio.n itself, and whethe; the <br /> <br />flows we asked for were appro- <br />priate,>> said Uq~WCD manager <br />Kathl e:en C urty. (,i,Bu tit. was all <br />about the (RICO's) impact on <br />upstream development of watE;r, <br />for .out of basin uses."ft <br />Gove.rnqr Owens has stated <br />publicly that he will not approve <br />any trans..ni.oun tbin. diversion <br />'Project in the Gunnison Basin. . <br />The director of tne Colorado. <br />Department , ..+~f..' Natural <br />Resources, Greg Walther,owho <br />oversees the CWCB, has 'Publicly <br />echoed the governor's claim. . <br />(~It certain)y gives me pause, f1 <br />said Curry. "It is v-e1;Y ,unclear <br />why the governor and W:alcher <br />are' making these public state- <br />.. ments and then the 'eweB pulls <br />out all the stops to oppose the <br />RICD on lh~ grounds that it pre-. <br />vents diversion.'~ <br /> <br />. In. an interview ~on Tuesday, 1 <br />Walcher said he was unaware of : I <br />. the strateJtY the'shtte's la?'Yers: j <br />electe.d to pursue in the case.. 1 <br />'LDiffetent people in s.tate gov~ J <br />erriment have different views)>> -. j <br />he said. ~!hat.is not a positibri i ~ <br />was aware of., and not. one. r 1 <br />would have ap"Pfoved of if.1 had <br />been made aware 6 [ it." <br />In pattitular, lhe. state's a..ttor- <br />neys pointed to' the Taylor Park <br />Project identified in the 1989. 1 <br />Phase. One study done on water 1 <br />demand and stJPl?ly issues in the... ~ <br />Gunnison Basin. That proposal . j <br />would in~ri1ve a conipli~ated ex:':. ~ <br />change. or purchase of Taylor . ~ <br />Reservoir water ftom cu~erit . ~ <br />owners. The water.would the.n" . ( <br /> <br />< i - . <br /> <br />be.come available for diversion to ~ <br />the Front Range. {. <br />'LThey put all their. cards' on <br />