9367 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9367
• Author: Colorado Water Workshop.
• Title: Proceedings
• USFW Year: 1992.
• USFW - Doc Type: Colorado Water Workshop July 22-24, 1992.
• Copyright Material: NO

stream. The value of tourism to the local economy is another factor
which will inhibit or prevent Colorado from taking the step of
consumptively developing its remaining share.

Public Opinion
A fifth factor is public opinion. Importantly, public opinion
about the quality of life. In this light the debate reduces to dams
versus free flowing rivers. A collaborator of Mark Twain's, Charles
W. Warner, said that "public opinion is stronger than the legislature
and almost as strong as the Ten Commandments." I think that we all
realize that and see it so often that we are inured to it. Charlie
Jordan wrote in today's Post "Water Series" that the Denver Water
Board stated that new water projects these days require the support
of the environmental community in order to continue. I think that the
environmental community can be read rather broadly. Many people,
probably most people, even President Bush, consider themselves
environmentalists. Public opinion on these proj ects plays an enormous
role in whether or not such projects ever leave the conceptual stage.
If public opinion and non-traditional players play such a enormous
role in determining what the law is going to be, then non-traditional
players in the public also play a role in administering it and
carrying it out. You have heard references to the fact that for the
first time members of the public, and members of the environmental
groups are getting involved in some of these Colorado River forums and
water advisories groups and so forth. I think it is not a coincidence
that all this is happening. It is not a coincidence that ten Indian
tribes have joined together to explore jointly marketing their water
on the Colorado River. It is not a coincidence that Jim Carrier's
story about going up and down the Colorado was so well received and
popular in the Denver Post. It is not a coincidence that we are here
today, talking in one of the many forums about Law of the Colorado
River and the public's stake in it, not just the traditional stake in
it.

Need

The sixth factor is what I call need. This might be what John
Carlson referred to as equity. It is the fact that where the water
ends up depends to some extent on who needs it and who is already
using it. We all know that possession is 9/10ths of the law. Ken
Mitchell, who recently retired from the Denver Water Board, made an
interesting statement in a story about the water buffalo days being
over. He says, "I' think we're going to be lucky to hang on to what
we've got right now:, " referring to Colorado's remaining compact share.
"I think Arizona and California already have a major handhold on a
piece of Colorado's compact water. I don't think Colorado is going
to get it back. They put it to use first and there's no question that.
California has a lot of political clout to try to keep it." He said
that in March.

Tribal Water Marketing
The seventh, which I have already mentioned, is the tribes'
desires to market their water and the great demand for water in the
Lower Basin. This has a large influence on where Colorado water will
end up. You are going to hear a great deal about that. I think there

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