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<br />" ry Tirnes · Thursd~YI. Febru;Jry 5,2004
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<br />OPINION .: ..~:<~':
<br />
<br />A day With the
<br />Water -'Buffaloes:
<br />The 'State of the Water 2004'
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<br />1 just got back from. an
<br />mU2l1 descent Into the
<br />dly of the btast to ~ng ~.
<br />Jr a couple of days with ~
<br />:()lorado) water bi.dT.;lo. ,;'
<br />1 the- 40th AnnU:J} Con... "
<br />enUon of the CoJomdo
<br />~ Ccnpss~ Ge~rgt SL6le~
<br />TIlt ColorAdo W&l~r'
<br />:onlteS5 11 ao organLzaUon lhar
<br />ull$ tog~the:r the scate.k waler man-
<br />gctst W'l~r conservancies iu\d
<br />ONtrvat,on dhu1as, W"'l~ eng)..
<br />,r:~ water atLomeySt Blld 18nuU",
<br />~rihl of wa~er lc:i.elU,ists Bud
<br />n\"ilgnmenUlli.$1$ "'10 proJnOl1 the
<br />~'ise nutJUgCrrtenland slewilrrlship
<br />If thcSta(e~ \\"a[erresou\'CCS for Uk
<br />lenelu of Colorado~ prestru and
<br />u(ure generaUons."
<br />The ,val~r buffalo ar CoJof.fldo
<br />:ondnue \0 prom()le 11ll: CO'ln"
<br />dlillg poS[", W\v:n \'i5ion that there
<br />vm no limits 10 \vhat Amerionu
<br />:auld do cbrnugb the appUoUlon of
<br />ed\l'1ology, mane}; disc.tpltne and
<br />ngenuity to the chaUenges pre-
<br />:en Led by nature, cOllUnuni5J11 ~
<br />le.:UR, space: and other perceived
<br />'p roblel n.s. ..
<br />The "'~tel Congrc.ss rost 10 i Is
<br />011 power in the 1960.s ~nd ,t70s
<br />"hen the federal go vt:mmentt
<br />hrough Ule Du~u of Rt:c1a:ms:UDIl.
<br />Nas gtJU pt'uring biUiom of dollal'$
<br />~ntO the West for Wa [er deveJa~
<br />men\. the: water bu(la[o were led
<br />then by West Stope CongfCSSrnan
<br />WayneAspinall \vl1a~ as chairofth~
<br />House Interior Commil~e..J["rtd
<br />a [0\ o[ lhat monty toward. Col..
<br />otado for projec[$uke: the Aspinall
<br />UrJit darns We9[ of GunnLwtt
<br />today, Ihe fedtrat money for
<br />water development has enLU"ely
<br />dried up: and the reds are now St:en
<br />mostly as pan gf th~ probletnr
<br />,ouree of endle5s environmenlal
<br />rules and proscnptionl. and many
<br />,r the water buffalo alQng the front
<br />Wlge are .:onfrotltin& the UDantiew
<br />pated consequences of Ugeujl1g
<br />,hai you wtsh (or" in 1~ of
<br />rowth~
<br />But die spirit of Aspjnall is sUfi
<br />I: guiding liglll of clle Waler Con,..
<br />ess -me last event of thefr Slnnu..
<br />c()nv(n~ta~l t$ to announce the
<br />lsync Aspj ran WaLer I..ead~r of
<br />! )'tar- - and the' annual conven-
<br />lis.. good plilce ta go to llnd OL1l
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<br />. wh~L! cooklng wldl
<br />those who move. and
<br />R\.na&~ the St3le~
<br />Water.
<br />But what 'Was cooJ.c..
<br />lng ~hls Yt'Dr W:l$ most..
<br />ly a (airly high heal at
<br />conste.rnation and con-
<br />fusion in the W)\ke of
<br />the: Re{tmtdum A debacle.
<br />The Water Congress h.ad sup-
<br />pOf'cd ,he. te.rtttndu~n. ~tld at-
<br />lenJpu:d lO .ddress this loss in a
<br />manner !.ha(WU1 rora buacb oTre..
<br />pubUa.ns (moslly). a )ollikt a de...
<br />rnocm( primary: they put ahout ZO
<br />hurr.ia in .. squ.ared-eff c!rcle
<br />around the problem Qltd. In what
<br />was euphemislicaUr listed on tllt
<br />progf1lm a!i "A Dialogue Dn WaCfr
<br />Development After Referendum
<br />A_M $U1ned unn, it ~ch oilier.
<br />SaIne of this dialog... c deserved
<br />an "'R'" ti1l)ng - not Jusf for the vcr-
<br />ba~ v~olenct, bue an -RW, for
<br />~RerunJ n s.lt1cc we had heard '" lol
<br />of lht san!!: things said las\ year.
<br />dod some or them lor the last 40
<br />)'~rs. This mO\led Ja~..on Pehh::r,
<br />De.PUlY Assl. Secrc(;lTy Qr tnlcrlo t
<br />for \Vstcr and Scic"u..~~ lO observe
<br />lhat it eRn he npalnfuJ to wuu:h a
<br />clistuHfoo "'-Ihere e\'t:t'ybodr k.no~:s
<br />what everybody else: is goitlg 10
<br />sa~'"
<br />Out there: were some djam()nds
<br />loar! the: eoalshDvcled 8found tJlat
<br />morning, W~l Slopers Wf"t't in
<br />shan ~upply on the: panel- R.eeves
<br />Brown from ChJb 20 ~nd Eric
<br />Kuhn (rom the Colora.do RIve.r
<br />Waler Conserv:nlon Di5triCt~ BUl
<br />)(uhn was brave enougn (0 say
<br />whal" lot o(usate. wandenng OVer
<br />heft:: thallbtre might hot be any
<br />"mlWon acre-feel of Coloudo River
<br />Vlatef left lO develop as; CalorIDios
<br />.share of lbe rh'et'"
<br />He "'1.$ engaging in what hw
<br />gen.eraUy ~en a no-no in Wesletn
<br />wa~ looking fl1 sciernil1c fac.ts. He
<br />pointed first 3,( dJe; Colorado Wvers
<br />s(udy decline lhrough the 20th .
<br />cenlU~ trom a 2a-year ~favcrage
<br />{Jow" of around 181\1UUon :tr;n:..[c.et
<br />when we Colorado Rivet Compact
<br />was signed jtJ 1922~ to a 1 QQ-year
<br />f,lvcras:c lotl:J'1 or Just over l' )n H.
<br />Uon acre--feel.
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<br />Se~ Wnler on pnge J 1
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<br />Water.
<br />
<br />cootinlfed From page 2 ..
<br />. ide-a lhe CWO "ludied lut YtJl.r
<br />Bu\ then l1e brought up the re.. wbh. ill h.lf..m11UQn donar budgel,
<br />constructions of l10ws fot me pa!l j anly to leam tMl it .. ~ vt;r)'
<br />'00 ftJltS, hued on llU-rlnp and cxpenstve. UlmUy. >>bast~U'aw."
<br />other 5tudirJ. YJ:'ldch 'ndloiU.e the liar Wd th~l"f!: any in9t~tloq.
<br />1o~er..tem1 average now (I p~~. (rorn l1nY of tm Fnmt ~ ~ .
<br />hiy bclWetn 1.1 and IJ.~ rroUion !!!yone !B thtnkJ.na abOUI Gunnl"
<br />acre-teet..... ,Ihis basically m~N . ~n ~jn ~'er Ij JhI& 'Oaln.~.- ar-
<br />IDat the CotOfldo 'PJver is Blrcad~ cepe for Dive Mjller. of eoufStt
<br />It fun devel?prtaen\ and the~ who (onllnues hl$. on e.. JDJI 0 >
<br />.i2IJIS. med1&.'ltand~mo'Ver bJhz tin behalt
<br />. Nobody ~nled '0 hear that.. (I('the Un\oS'J V.tk proposa1~~
<br />. On dltJ lnl~rns) rront~ .Au~rai: malO wal!.)' dLs.trtce, :seem tQ be:.
<br />d!.'~eCtOT or rt'-Soureei Ptta B.mnc:y workin.l closer Ie home~ .nd on
<br />tried \0 d~Iust i.omt of lhe p8.5r lP9te m~~( ~rolcc~ snd. roo,!;! or
<br />slomle agncuhural repltsentaUvt$ the mlU'l4~r$ there $<<:fIl to uili1k.
<br />who chdmed thal municipal ib!t 1tU1'Y ~I ~ ilia .ha~ of ~
<br />gmwili W11S going \0 p"\~Col0rldo wunr: ~ W1Iler deve1~ent., .
<br />.grlcuhure out of bU.510l:5j. He- In sum lrom an Upper (iunni...
<br />pointc1 OUl,. firsl, that no one ~ son pers~CUVt. U\tre: con1l.'rLues 1.O
<br />Corclng ~e Arb~ liver Van., be a lot or gmew talk TlmQng I.hc.
<br />fanne.N to &~lllhelt waU:f lo lhe wafer buffalo aboul -Jbe. need to
<br />.:iut!: Ut~ fanners were: jus~ ~k:-. . d1-ve1o'D mo(~ ~tdfVt'~~ but ~
<br />ing good ma.rket.~~d c1ecuaons. .~v s.eems 10 be: lo:aklne..~dfi.
<br />And second, be pOInted 1D the ng-- i~l1", wllh anY imrncdi8~ at lhe.
<br />un::s a~u\ use: wltll the tanne.rs Upper Gunnl$o~.- t.SpedaUy ~n
<br />now wing ,)ose to 90 percenl of the wake oC Referendum A~ Not
<br />lh~ waLer ill l~e: stite. a d~ub1in.g now.. N Ol yel. B\ll like lhe ~~n
<br />0.( waKt use In. lh e: mt:tto dn:a . said': "Just bccatlst:. YQu~rt. para...
<br />would still t~ve more lhan SO per- noid doesn't mean they aren~l out.
<br />cent of the waler in agricuhurt. to get you~. .
<br />A number of the Speakl::1S fo.. '
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<br />cwed on ilu~ C\V'Os: cu~nl !;uue (1.1 . ~ ~
<br />Wau:r S~pply 'n"hllhre ilUdy .. = IU C5-
<br />(SWS]) as a pOlentially pO~.Jlivc C1..2 -= -6 c2 ~ g
<br />......... Qesc.
<br />nOte: fot getting the state o.-gsoized ~ ~ t.Q ~ ~ e 0
<br />[or ".iuer devt']opm~nl~ 5WSlls an .,. ... ~~ e ~ ";: ~ t.)
<br />rt 'U:lU ~ ....
<br />tuor\ LO e~~min~, basin by ba3in..s 0 > a 0 tU
<br />1l1c waler n:~ources and ne.:r..fu- to- 'S ~ 4) CJ e .:5
<br />lure n~ed5 or each river basin in ~.2 ~] · 5: c 5 '"
<br />ColQrado. The sludy ,^~iU be c.om- :0 ~ ~ ~= ~ ~..= e
<br />pitted in November. E e ~ -;:! : ~ -;
<br />:aUl a problem With SWS11.s lhe g:: E ib c E 2 Q,.,
<br />[;act lhB~ many people; are dOiD,g Ul.!!l.~:E .:J 3 Q. r--.,...
<br />e~acl[Y wha~ the sptskers al [he fi · (i -g r5 ~ 15 ]: ~
<br />UD)~log\len said lher shouldn11 do: = e -= ~ -:h:S 5. ~
<br />bringing (0 the table tbe luggage 3 0... G) ~ a ~ s ~
<br />ftOnl a cevl1.uy ot foterbasin mt,;... ~ ~ ~ elJ ~ fI}- e r.f
<br />lnlstt am.bjguous ~perience a.nd i':; -0 .~ ..! ~ .; ;
<br />oUlrighE conte.l1lJon, Harold t~ S ; 1i ~ 8: 5 M
<br />Miske! of the ewes said lhal. il E ~ ~ -8 ~ ~ "t:l ~
<br />SWSl w~s lo be u!~full olpecple: g"-r:J"e e l. D Ii b...
<br />hav~ to be mOr~ open, and ItOp to) i b e'I$ ~ -; .s" c-i
<br />being 50 paranoIc! an~ p~rochial. - g r;f ~ ..2 · a :It ~ 8
<br />Another speaker Sll;d SW51 ~.~ . Q..;::l .~ ~ ('jl
<br />couJdntl s\lccecd if upeaplt: were ,.&:J == ..! g.. ~:; ~;;
<br />only at the table to k~~p thejt own ~ :5 ~ ~ c 'i ~ oo;:t
<br />ox from .getitng goted~" ~ CJ.. "'" .9.gj -;b ~
<br />The -Dialogue" was noi.a\:lle for 8 5 ~ ; ~ ~ ~ r:::.
<br />wbal wasn" discus:sed 100. I he-.ard .,.., t 0 == 4J ~ r;; ~ -a .....,
<br />1 r ',"-' =s-a..., '-- tn E "-
<br />no .mention at s 1 0 "'Th~ BIg ~ ~ "'2 3 I a ~.12 .2
<br />Str.1\\:' thr: idea lor moving We.sl ~ g.:: r.;; o.~ ! ~
<br />Stope wa\er b~ck up mto the hc=:ad- ~. >, ~ l~ ~ ~ ~
<br />\\'aleIS from lhe UUlh border -"'" -'n ... ~~ == i e ~;> ~
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