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<br />Comments to SWSJ, November 3, 2003, by John Wiener <br /> <br />33 <br /> <br />Wiener, J4D.. and C.W. Howe, 20001 Synthesis report of the Exploratory Assessment of the Potential for <br />Improved Water Resources Management through Increased Use of Climate Information in Three <br />Western States and Selected Tribes; also State Team Reports for Coloradot New Mexico, Tribes <br />and Utah (varying dates); electronic form available4 <br /> <br />Appendix 1: A news story from the Puebro Chieftain which appeared during drafting of this <br />proposar: <br /> <br />The Pueblo Chieftain Online Publish Date Wednesday January 15th, 2003 <br /> <br />Water banking could hurt farms [Photo of Terry Scanga, Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy <br />District] <br /> <br />By MARGIE WOOD <br />The Pueblo Chieftain <br /> <br />The pilot water bank that is expected to begin operating this month in the Arkansas River basin <br />has been promoted as a way for farmers and ranchers to stay alive in hard times like the current <br />drought. <br /> <br />But leaders of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District believe the water bank holds perU <br />for the ag economy, because the law will arrow water to be reased outside the Arkansas basin. <br /> <br />Terry Scanga, manager of the district, said he has some concerns about the legaf process of the <br />water bank operation, but his principal concern is the prospect of out-Qt--basin leasing. <br /> <br />Last year, the Legislature adopted a measure that authorizes the state Water Resources <br />engineer to approve temporary supply plans enabling cities to use water they're in the process of <br />buying. <br /> <br />Thjs year, there's another biU in the Legis'ature to extend those supply plans to water banking <br />transactions, Scanga saidt and he thinks that's a deadly combination. <br /> <br />IIIf they can lease water and move it out of the basin without any judicial review, why would they <br />ever buy water and have to go to court?. he asked~ <br /> <br />It's not just an aca~emic question~ Aurora.s water utility is seeking permission to lease water from <br />the Rocky Ford Ditch while its purchase is still in water courtt and to use it for 90 days this <br />summer4 (That pran is not involved in the water bank project, because the bank is restricted to <br />stored water in the Arkansas system and the ditch water is a direct-flow right.) <br /> <br />.-1 would be the first one to support a market system for water,U he said. ttBut we cannot allow the <br />water to move out of this basin. We are an overapproprjated system_and we1re in a droughtll <br /> <br />Scanga said, "When we challenged the water banking rules, we argued that because of the <br />higher value given municipal use, leasing would move water out of our basin to the northern Front <br />Range cities. The advocates asserted that the banked water actually would be teased by <br />agricultural weU association s. II <br /> <br />But cities are wining to pay $1 ;500 to $2,000 per acre-foot of water] while agricultural users are <br />hard.pressed to to pay 10 percent of that price, he said~ <br /> <br />If cities are alJowed to lease water and take it out of the Arkansas Varley, Scanga said, liThe <br />agricultural economy of the valley will suffer a horrible 10554 f feel split, too, when J think about the <br />farmer or rancher who has an opportunity to lease his water and maybe save himself for a year4 <br />