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Jul 05 07 01:01p QA BRIGHTON SfANDARD BiAOF WATER (rem page 1 A linns to [hc WIlcr-suppip cl•isis facing Fanners and ranchers in northeastern Colorado, Miller stepped up to unveil a water solution plan he's been work- ing on for decades. M11iller, a retired Air Force colonel, is president of Natu- ral Energy Resources Co. in Pafiner Lake. Fle said miflions o( acre•feet of [cderally-owned water shares are available in Colorado with no immedia[e plans to utilize the waterre- sourceor energ}r whidi could be produced. Describing a siiigle, h+gh- altitude, pumped storage si[e Uiat would be construcked in the Gunnison Basin, Milfer said the project coufd "sub• stantially increase the produc- civity of existing renewable energy and water resources tltroughout a Hvc river•basin region." Optimistic but skepk'scal, the 40-plus farm families on hand tor the mec[ing 3t the Double Tree Ftotel listened in- tently to Mitler as he described the Central Colorado Project. "We tike t4ie idea of being selF•supporting un the South Platte," Arnold Good of Fort Morgan said. "[3ut we're going to stop short af saying that that when water is available, ive shottldn't pursue it." Water Users Defense begins battle fn April, the 'Water Users Defense Commi[tee asked for an emergency executive order tor a rnoratorium on shuY- downs placed on the farmers' wells. But Ritter denied the eroup's request and said the task force will bring together all the parties to sCudy the problem. "Tliis is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive revieiv," Ritter said in April. "This task force wi{1 bring to- gether aq stakeholders so we can explore al{ options." Bob Sakata, president of Sakata Farms in Brighton, a major vegetable producer, said in April it may be too late Eor some Farmers. 6ut he praised Ritter for taking action. ..At Ic:iSY hc'c liiini<ing aboitt us," SaE;:rta said. Sen. (3ranclnn Sliaffer, I)- l.oiigmunl, wiio ;ilsu :il lcnclccl the Apri! niceting in wiggins, said thc sCOte izeeds long-terrn solu[ions lo its water needs. "The crisis began wlien dle state suffcred one o[ its worst droughts in histury beginning in zooz," Sliaf(er said. "bVlien South Platte Rivcr levels are loIv, the Wclls musf bc turned off Lo ensure that Water users with highcr•priority rights ge[ their share, since the wells can affect river levels." For 30 ycars, tlte stnke engineer had been able to juggle the state's water stipply [o keep farmers happy and the South PEatte (totiving. [Sut las[ year, die Colorado Supremc Couri uphcld a 1969 decision requiring well oivners to put water back in[o the Sou[h P!a[te. The courts also ruled tliat the water courts, nn[.lhe state enginecr, siiould decide where the tvater will be used and by wliom. The state is flushing away water Sayiiig Colorado is iiot using its water like it sliouEd be, Miiler pointed out tliat only 2,3 milliomacrc Ccet of a potential 3.7 million acre-Feet in tiie Colorado River hasin is utilized.l'lie rest simply fluws out oF the stafe, "T]iere's no reason Far this crisis," he said. "We think this is the an- swcr For Chc wholc sfate and even the down river states," Mitler said. "It we can get the peopie behind this, we can relax a little bit and not let the prior water appropc-iation system just kill us." The higher water is stored, the more oppor[unitics to usc and reuse the water are pre- scnted, Miller explained. Ffc proposes to build the Union Park Resenoir in west-central Cotorado, neir Gunnison. "Tliis Guiuiisan idea, wcbe been working on for a long time. Now, we're saying Uy storing water at high altitude, we.can muitiply the productiv- ity, depcnaaUility and quality of whaterer Finite level uf water tliis state has." Union Park would sit on WEChESCAY, JUNE 13, 2007 p.4 wWW.MElA0wF4FY1. CO+.f hU\rt THC FIZONT a sirc xvilhin ;I 30•niilc riidius of five inajor river drainages. M11iflcrsaid he didn't hclicvc Ilicrc was iuothcr in;ijor silc in Lhc world lhat could ulilize fivc sepairate drainaSe basins for oiic wacer system, fx- pected [o hold no Icss than 1.2 iniilion acre-fect, the reservoir Would easiip be tlle largest body of waler in the stata N1iller said spring rtmo(f surpluses occur tlic samc limc surpfus eneroy is available, essentially (ree. py pwnping during this luw-pcalc cnergy pcriod, tlie wafer coulcl be inoved to sCorage arsd fhen, when water was recJistributed t(iroughout Che rest oE the ycar, Che reverse (low in Che samc pipeline in(raslructure coulcl be used to gener'al peak- needs po+ver. He anticipates privafe ill- Justsy would futid fhe projec[ becai:sc of the potential to generatc peak puwer witti a return io times wha[ is gcner• aced by normal, lower-altitude reservoirs. "Tliis tivould multipty tlie procluctivily of cncrgy throughaut the West," Millcr saicl. MiHcr said (edcral walcr righcs cvere 5c[ aside as the 1,Vayne N. Aspinall Units in i956, flic same timc as C'lam- ing Gorge, G1cn Czinynn and olher+vater storage projects were eslablishrd by lhe Colo- rado River Storage Project. "Tltis ivater is not your normal Colorsdo watcr rights watcr," hliller explained. "'1'he Aspinall pooi is fedecal water rights cstabtished at the same time as Lake Powcll and lliese other fedcrai sloragc projects being dcvcloped in iygG. The Aspinall units were developed, but thcy have never been uscd as origiiially intendcd - Fur Colorada consuniptivc iuc." llie idea was lirst brought to the stace iii 1982. ln jgeG, htilter again presenCed his concepts to tlle stare. "1'hc problem is, the West Slopc adopced a not-onc•drop policy and we've lost Zn yenrs of rotential progress," Miller said. West Slope opposition has already begun to surface, even in the shor[ time since Miller's company presentcd a Whitc Paprr to the statc as wcli as the U.S, Jepartments of fnCC- rior, Agriculture and Energy April ty. Prupusals to crcalc wildcrness and roadless arcas have been presented that en- cumpnss the same region that caulcl be utilized for the Union 1'arlc rescrvoir. "The Conitnental Divide has made us info two warring nations. IYs unEortunate, and iNs got to change," Millcr said. "We'ee goL a concept here that will ulcimatcly benefit Colo- rado ancl the entire Southwest staces region." Gunnison Valley opposifion 1Zcp. Kathleen turry, District 61 in Gunnison, said she wished she could channel some of Mi11er's irnagination and eiiergy into something that coutd passibly work. "Pm sure wftiat {ie didn't rnencion to the Farmers along thc Souih Pla[[e was that he oizly has remnants of this prUj• ect left to work with," Curry said. "l le his taken his applica- tion to the water courts and has been denied and the Su- preme Courk rcturncd his casc to Lhe water courts wilhout action. "lie lias no watcr rigfits," Curry said. "He lias a lot of vi- sion, but no watcr rights." Curry said Iiis claimcd Aspi- na11 connection is a wealc tink at best, using a footnote in a previous Suprcmc Court ruling which stated lhere could he 240,000 acre-feet unaccounted for in the Aspina11) Unit. Curry explained thatwater is set aside to fi11 Lake Powell, which is Colorado's water bank in the event of a drouglit year and the Southwesrern states put out a call for lheir alloCted watcr as outlined in s[at'e compacts, "Thcre could be some watcr in wet ycars, bu[ we would run the risk of aggra- vaCing storage shoc[ages at Lake Powel(," Curry said. "This would oniy compficate and puY at risk the transmountain wa- ters, junior rights waters, that are used in Denver and other compacts. "Lake Poweil is our banl< account, our insurance policy and he wants to use that water For his project," Curry said. She asked, "IF there were anoUier transmountain coa- nection forwater to go ta the Front Range, who would get the water really - the farmcrs or the cities?" Weld County farmers continue their fight In the meantime, members of the Water Users Defense Committee, comprised of South Platte River valley farm- ers ancl produce growers, am hanging tlieir collectiv: hats on the govemor's task force. Delores hfartinel] pushcd the {ocal group to begin asking customers to sign peti[ions at the toca1 markets and inform- ing the public, one person at a time. 8righ[on-area growcr Deb PaIizzi agrecd, reminding the group that the late efforts in the past le6isVative session needed fo be be[ter organized beFore next year's scssion. "We need to get our tes- timony organized as early as possible for this task (orce," Palizzi said. The task (orce is expected to hold public hearings this summer and fall be(ore forming any policy change to be presented to the legislacure nexl spring. Behind the farmers and working for the group, at- torney John Meineger said, "Getting the f.egislature to actually do something for the 2008 pumping season" is the graup's top priority. "We have to build the political infrastructure to svpport the task force recom- mendations and restore river management Yo something rcasonable. You've been work- ing under the concept that you expect the legisla tors to do the right thing. But they respond to political pressure, not the right thing," Arnald Gaod said, Realizing that most oF [heir customers are sympathetic to the farmers' plighC, the group will work to fiave petitions signed and ready to counter ¦ see WATER poge SA