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<br />
<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 gol b.tck. frnmllh
<br />mUlll dt$(cnl InlO the
<br />:Uy of the bt.asr to bang ',.
<br />Ir.ll couple of day. With ~
<br />:aloradoli w,[<< bi.l.ffida, ,;'
<br />llllt +61h Anflu:ll Con- "
<br />entlon of the: CoJotlldo
<br />oIalcr Ccngress. Gt~roe, S16/elJ
<br />The Colorlldo Walrcr'
<br />:onereiS Is an ol'8anw;uon tha;r
<br />ul1s logelher Ihe slIl.te}: waler nun-
<br />g~l$. WIlIl:r conservancies and
<br />QnJetva(ion lfutZ'icrs, W~ld' ~ngl-
<br />,~m, wlI:lerauomeys, snd a; Sllwl~
<br />~rJns of waler &denUslJ and
<br />nvirlmmenllili$lS klO pl'blnole the
<br />.ise. ~~llU\d stewal'dship
<br />,ftheStJlte'!i~'Illetre::;oun:c; for tlu:
<br />,enelU of Colorados p~tnlllnd
<br />mUll!: generations..
<br />The willer buffalo or Colorado
<br />:ontlnue to' promote the corn.
<br />d1ing po5l- WWII vsion lhatwcrc:
<br />vere no Iimll$ 10 what Ameritl111S
<br />:ould do lhrough !he appl1olljon of
<br />echllO]ogy. mone~; dl.!C:lpline il.nd
<br />ngcl1uHy to che dmllenges pre-
<br />;enleQ by nIlIUlt:, comm.unism.
<br />leath, Spll<;e: #nd 0 ther perceived
<br />'pmbleIll5. ~
<br />Th~ \V:!.(er Congtt.ss rose to i IS
<br />.ull power In the 1960s tlnd ,70s
<br />",hen th~ federal government,
<br />:hrough ule BUreilu of Reclams:tioll,
<br />"'85 suU pclurtng biUioll$ oC doJw.ts
<br />;mo lhe Wt:!It for Wllter develop-
<br />m~fll, The waler bul11l1o Were led
<br />/hen by West Slope Congregsmlln
<br />WayneAsplnllll wl;1o, M chair of the
<br />House IntenDr CommiUee, 5 teered
<br />, 101 ol th.al mon~y toward Col.
<br />ll/1ido for proje<:l$ like the AspInall
<br />Unit cianu We:i[ of Gunnison.
<br />Today. Ihe teder.d money for
<br />waler dc\lt;lopmenl bas enli.l'e1y
<br />dried up: aod lhe fed5l1le now 5el:n
<br />mostly ilS pan oC the problem,
<br />IlOurce of endless envll'Onm.entllL
<br />ml~ IUld proscrtplioll$. Il1d many
<br />)f!he WlIre.!' bulfalo along the Front
<br />Wtge are confron ling the unalltJ:c-
<br />!,lI.te.d coo.seque.ncu of "gelling
<br />~hat you. wish ror~ in te01lll oC
<br />r'Owm.
<br />llm the Spiril of Aspinall Is still
<br />1: guiding ligIll of dle Wiler Con.
<br />ESS -Ihe last eVent of theIr annu-
<br />conventioll Is to anl1ount:~ [he
<br />'~e Aspinall Waler Leader of
<br />, \hr" - and the al\ll\.la! conV'en.-
<br />1 is agoocl place to go 10 find OlJt
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<br />what! cooking wIth
<br />lhCl$e who mOve and
<br />manage the Sla[e~
<br />Wilter,
<br />But wh~t W;\$ ~(lok-
<br />IJlB ihis yeor W:l$ tnos(-
<br />J~ a fattly high heat of
<br />conslemauon and eon"
<br />fush:m ill the: wl\k~ of
<br />the Reft'M1dllm A debacle,
<br />The Water Congress ha.d sup-
<br />ported the ~CerendU1n. and i11-
<br />ltmpttd ill addre% Ih is loss ill a
<br />manner Wt WU, for;;l buncu of re-
<br />publlcollS (tnos!ly), ii lalllke to. de<
<br />tUoc.t8t primary: tht:y pUI >?bOUl 20
<br />hulTtolo in I squared-olT clrde
<br />around the problem i1Jld, In w)\at
<br />was eUphemlsli.;all)' !isw;! on tJ1e
<br />progflm Wi "A OiitI"guc: on Watgr
<br />Development Aller Referendum
<br />A, . slantd Ciring al C1ch othet:
<br />SOLne of this dia!Dg.ll.c destl'Ved
<br />an ~ll: r3llng - nOt JUSt for the var.
<br />bsl vIolence, but all "R" for
<br />"Rerunt sInce we l~d heard ~ 101
<br />of lite sathe lhings SI1id la$t year,
<br />Ill1cl some of them for the lsst 40
<br />}'ears. thIs moved )a.~ol1 Peltil!:r,
<br />Deputy Asst Secrcl:lry of Inlerior
<br />for Wale~ and Scittll:C:. 10 o~~lVe
<br />thaI i( Ciln he "painful 10 walch ;I.
<br />dlscU5$lon whe~ el'Cl'ybodl' knOll'S
<br />whs[ everybody e:/se is going to
<br />say."
<br />Dut there were some diamonds
<br />In alllhe toal sho\'eled around tll~t
<br />morning. W~t Sloper.s w~r:e in
<br />shon supply an the panel- R.~eves
<br />tlrown from Club LO and :Eric
<br />Kuhn [rom the Colorado River
<br />Waler Con~ervaliol\ District, But
<br />Kuhn was brave enough 10 .say
<br />whll.( a 101 o( IlS are wondeting ave.
<br />ht~; that there might not be all}'
<br />"m1Ulol1 acre-feel of Colondo River
<br />'MIler letl to develop as ColoradQ~
<br />shs.re or the rjver."
<br />H~ was engaging jn whit! h1l5
<br />generally bee.\111 no-no in Weslern
<br />WIIter; JookJUj; Ilt5('ierllilic f<lcu. He
<br />pointed ftf$l ll.lme CdoradQ !1Jvtrs
<br />sleady d~cllne through lhe 20th
<br />CI:J1tury. from a 2a-year "a..crage
<br />[Jew. of 810tltld 18 mUJlon a,~[ee(
<br />whw the Colondo River Compact
<br />was signed /1I1922, 10 a 100-yc~r
<br />ilval'llgc loilay or Just over 1;1 mll,
<br />llon acre-fect.
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<br />See Willer 011 rage l1
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<br />rH<.:rc.:. 0"<;
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<br />Water.
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<br />cOlltinl!ed from page 2 .
<br />ldca lhe CWO '5ludl~d lUI year
<br />BUI then he brought up the ft. with'lI. halJ-mllllon dollu budge I,
<br />constructions of flows for lhe past , only to learn wllt 9lU very,. v~
<br />500 yea.rs, baud an Lree-r1np and upcnstve, Utenl.ly II "lIIst Sl.r/l,w....
<br />other ~ludles. which IndlcalC the Nor ~~ lht{~ lU\Y indl'Oll~p~
<br />to~~t>1.C1ltl ave~c. now Is. p~~ , from aR'( or the. Frlint lUm ~,
<br />bly bc~n 13 and.,13,' nullion anyone 1s th1nkln1l about Gunnt-
<br />lIcre,Iect 1.biJ basIcally me.al!$ . pan ~q WjIlet al \his JIQ1n4 - 0.-
<br />iliil1.ht CoI~"l} Rivc::r !s lllfcad~ ccpt tor Olive MUlu, of course,
<br />A! {llll developmenl IIltI th~n who continueI ha, ane-lIllUl
<br />i5!lDI. medill'lIr1d-maver bllu:. on beball
<br />, Nobod~ WJInled to hew' that.. cf'am Union hrk propolilll.A1l.W-
<br />, On the Inlemal trom. Au~ra) mdro watc:r dls.ldclI ~e:em to hI:
<br />d1leclcr or resourees Pill:r Bmnqr wor)Qng d~er to home, Ilnd on
<br />In ed to d~ruse some of tht pjlS. ~QNmog.est tlrokct&., and..rnosl of
<br />slon.alt agnculnmlll'e"pIesel1tallvl:$ the ~[S there: ~ to UUrtk.
<br />wha cl~lmed thlll munkipll.l ~8t ~1 be the (hialMJ of ~
<br />growth was gotng 10 P'l.I\,Cowndo bttun: m WIllet devd~ment. '
<br />Ilgl'iClJhUTl:' oul of busjnus. He In. sum Crcrn an Upper Gunui~
<br />poinlN OUI, firsl, that no one WlI$ 'sol' pa$~cUve.lhtR continues to
<br />rorc::ll'lg Ihe Arkansas livtt" Valley be 01 lot oI genellll Wk among lbe .
<br />fllnneflllo IId1 thdr Wl\u:r 10 th~ water buffalo ahout ~W need IQ
<br />cll.l=s; !hI: rannerJ were ju.s~ r:wk;-, .:develoD mOle ~\9rf,.ll'C:_~ ~"t D.lt::
<br />Ing good mllrkel-~ed deCISIOns, ,~dv Seem! to be taoldn1t~-
<br />Andsewnd, h?Qlnu:d to th~ {Jg- iWl~ with any immediaCY. lllth;,
<br />ures llb?UI use., with tbe [armm Upper Gunnison ._ especially in
<br />now u.ung close to gO percellt of l.he wake or Referendum A. Not
<br />Ih~ ~ler in l~e Slate.. 1\ d?Ubltng now; Not yet, BUl like the: ~an
<br />of waler use 11'. lht lnelro Brea ,said ~ ~lusl bl!:caw;~ you'rl: para.
<br />would sliU leave more Ihsn aD pe.... noid dOC$n'l mean they aren't au I
<br />cent of uu: waler jn ~grl Ct.llllll"~. 10 gel you'- .
<br />A number of ,he speake.rs fo-
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<br />cused on the cwCas c~nt Slll.le ~ M
<br />Wille. Supply InltJative study ~~ IU I -~ ~
<br />(Swsl) as II pOlentially posilive if ,,g -:5 'i ~ & g
<br />OOtefor getting !be sl.lle organized ~ g ~ Q. i;l E 0
<br />for w~uet development. SWSI i5l1n .. .;:: E 4) ';: 4 u
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<br />cITlJrllO exaotine, basIn by basin, ':S 0 > i e a ~
<br />the Wilier f'CSOUrCI:$ Bnd near.fu- t-. :; :::: G) eJ E ',:j
<br />lUre n!:"~ds oE each river basin in ~:= ~], 5 5' .5 \00
<br />Colorado. The study \\.jlJ be com~ III SO:>"':: ~ ....= ~
<br />ple~d in November. e g e Cii:'i : ~ -;
<br />llul a problem wiLh $WSl Is the ~ -= ih c E E c..
<br />[~Cllhlll many people arc doing r.n ~ J~ :c ,:3 g Q. ~
<br />c:uclly what th.e speakers at the i ';; -g 0 ~ .8 '3 ~
<br />"Dialogue" Mid they shouldn't do: = ~ ~ ~ Cf.l = 5 )ol
<br />bringIng 10 [he uble the luggage 8 at.... ~ .~ E ~
<br />[rclnla celllln}' of iou:rbasin mis- ~ co ~ cO ~ ~ e M
<br />IJ;USl, lUtIbiguous ~periet\ce snd 1S:5"O a~ 11 ~ as;: ~
<br />olllright conlentlon. Harold,~ i ~:.a ~ 2t G ('"'l
<br />Miskel of lhe ewes said tbal, if 'E ;t; ~ -8 ~ ii "a ~
<br />SWSl was lD be u.5t:ful, "people ~ "l:f .t; .e l. ~ a tl;..
<br />have to be l'l1(lrI: open. IInd SlOp lS i b N ;; ~ -IJ f"i
<br />being 50 parJlnold and {>arochillL" Cl:I ~ ~ &1. ~ ~ ~ g
<br />Anolhel" speaker 'said SWSl ~.2 .:s.:5,~ ~ <":l
<br />could,,', succeed if ~peopll: were .0 = ~ :;. ~:;; ~::::
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<br />on y al the' table 10 keep their own en 0 U) <II ~ fi ... '<t'
<br />o.Tfrorogculnsgored, - ~ ~ ~ S !3 E 'iQ ~
<br />The 'Olaloguen ~;t.5 nal3.blte for g 6 ij ; -Eb e ~ r::::.
<br />whllt wam' discussed 100. I heard ,"" 'c;; ::t .. -r;,: c.;;;; "'0 ......
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<br />no .roenUan at all of ~lht ilig .S:2 ~ g 'a ~::a (,;; J:!
<br />Su..a....: ~ Ihddea for moving W~l b 8..a r.;:: 0 ,~ ~ ~
<br />SIDpe water back up inlo the head- "I >. 11 .'" ~ !' 4)
<br />Waters from the Ul.tlh border-;m ~ .~ ::: "i ~ Di;3:. ~
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