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

An Endangered Community? Possible Impacts of the Endangered
Species Act in the Upper Gunnison Basin

Bill Trampe
Chairman, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District

The program acknowledges that I am Chairman of the Board of the
Upper Gunnison District. However, I am not speaking on Behalf of the
board this morning. Rest assured that the views I express are my own.
They have developed by many years of playing with this little
instrument that I have over here. It is a two piece irrigating
shovel. The second piece comes from the fact that the handle can be
worn off, replaced and worn some more. My education in water comes
from being an irrigator. I am not a legal attorney, hydrologists,
engineer, or a scientist, I am an irrigator. I have firsthand
experience, so when someone tells me how to irrigate and how to manage
my agricultural water I become somewhat offended. That is why some
of my remarks may be slightly pointed, but that is the way it is.
As a rancher and an irrigator, my role in my business in this
community is to raise forage for livestock consumption which is then
consumed by the general public. In this community, in this type of
an environment the land is marginal. We are living at a high
elevation. We are living with Mother Nature the best we can, and we
are producing the best we can, but it is certainly not a high volume,
high price crop. Hay, if we are lucky, averages $60.00 a ton.
Irrigated pasture, if we are lucky, might be sold or rented for $.22
per animal unit a day. As you can see it is not a very profitable
business. It is a business we do because we like to do it. As long
as people, pressures and stresses leave us alone, I am sure most of
us will continue to do it. We do it because we like it. We do not
do it because it is profitable.
I sat in the session yesterday and again this morning and I heard
various philosophies and views from both sides. I identify myself as
somewhere in the middle. Depending upon the particular issue, I might
lean one way awhile and then I might lean the other way awhile. I
really found myself identifying with an entirely different position
as I listened to Mark. Everything he addressed with regards to
biodiversity and endangered or threatened species I felt applied to
me and my business. Lucy High has titled my discussion "The
Endangered Community," and I sincerely feel that way, not only for the
agricultural community, but for the entire community. I hope by the
time I finish this morning you will better understand where I am
coming from. The effects are reaching not only the agricultural
community, but our total community. The community we know today may,
not be here in a few years because of a variety of things happening.
Some of them are triggered by a potential Endangered Species Recovery
program on the Colorado River.
I would like to describe where our conservancy district, the
irrigators and the water users of the community have been; where we
are today; and what we are looking towards in the future. As a small
boy, I can remember the discussion and turmoil that came about with
the consideration and authorization of the Aspinall unit. There was

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