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The Vail Trail - Vail's Greatest Newspaper Since 1965 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />Subscribe ( Member Center Login <br /> Vail Trail Issue Thursday, October 14, 2004 <br />In The Newspaper ? Water and politics <br />i:• Home River Runes - 10/14/04 <br /> Neubecker <br />Ken <br />::• Classifieds ._ <br />Cover Story Water and politics have always been an exciting mix in Colorado. This election year and the <br />;:• Event Calendar upcoming legislative session are no exception. The campaigns are fuli of fearsome rhetoric, <br />?s• Letters how one side will "sell us out" and how they, like the white knights that they all are, will <br /> save us and "protect our water." Water issues are brought up so much, with so many <br />?• Movies <br />_ <br />twists and half truths that it becomes background noise and is often tuned out by the <br />: • News voters. <br />;• Opinion <br />;:• Pages Past <br />;• Scene <br />::• Weather Report <br />::• Spotlight <br />;s• Vail Traii Photos <br />Write the Editor <br />:• Writers <br />;• Archives <br />::• Mountain Talk <br />;:• Weekly Expedia Deals <br />Local Weather ? Itig <br />53° <br />PuCiY <br />SUfllkY <br />FRI Partly Sunny HI 590 <br />LO 31° <br />SAT Partly Sunny HI 651 <br />LO 34° <br />SUN Partly Sunny HI 540 <br />LO 30° <br />MONIntermittent Clouds HI 510 <br />LO 31° <br />TUE Intermittent Ciouds HI 470 <br />LO 26° <br />Local Snow Reports ? <br />BeaverCreek 04/11/04 <br />19" past 7 days <br />New: 1" past 24 hrs <br />Base: 85" <br />Surface: Spring Conditions <br />Vail 04/11/04 <br />Zl" past 7 days <br />Base: 45" <br />Surface: Spring Conditions <br />. Send Feedback <br />Stili, water in Colorado is a serious issue and needs to be taken seriously. As Tip O'Neal <br />said, "All politics is local," and there is nothing more lacal than the water in our streams <br />and homes. Colorado's political foundation is laid on water. <br />The political batties for water in Colorado have largely been an East Slope vs. West Slope <br />thing, and stili are. Some spectacular political fireworks preceded the great diversions built <br />to transfer water from west to east. Planned diversions, diversion "upgrades" and <br />upcoming legislation promise a full and colorful future for water politics, as well. <br />We often hear that there is someone out there who is planning to "steal" our water. Never <br />mind the fact that neariy all of the water in the state is aiready spoken for through legal <br />rights and compacts. If someone wants to "steal" any water they are going to have a tough <br />time finding any left to take, and a tougher time taking it. Mitigating and stopping <br />potentialiy damaging, but otherwise legal projects and diversions, is the real political story. <br />So is re-defining and legislating the changing ideas of waters beneficial use. <br />The Feds are often used as a political whipping boy as well. That nasty Federal government <br />is trying to "steai" our water! Never mind the fact that it was the Feds, through the Bureau <br />of Reclamation, who built the major dams and diversions supplying water to the desert <br />west. The Colorado-Big Thompson project in Grand County is by far the largest diverter of <br />water from west to east. It's a Federal project. Blue Mesa Reservoir, along with Lake Poweil <br />and the entire Coforado River Supply Project help Colorado meet its Compact obligations, <br />allowing us to keep more water in Colorado. All these are Federal projects. <br />The Feds come in for trouble politically when they try and keep a little water in the streams <br />by requiring a"by-pass" flow around diversions on Federal land. Imagine, trying to <br />maintain a littie bit of life in a stream or the land along it. Those dirty Feds! <br />As water gets tighter the political question will turn from building new projects to who has <br />the "higher and better" use or need for existing suppiies. Recreational In Channel <br />Diversions (RICD's) are at the heart of this new debate. RICD's are the water right that <br />allow adequate flows to be kept in a stream for recreational use. This is a new concept on <br />the Colorado waterscape. While keeping water in a stream as a"diversion" sounds <br />oxymoronic, that is the legal framework that has to be used in Colorado. It is also <br />anathema to the Old Boy water networks. Traditionally water is oniy "beneficial" when its <br />put in a pipe and pumped toward money. Many do not see recreational water as a valid <br />beneficial use. The Colorado Water Conservation Board has opposed every single RICD and <br />kayak park in the state. So have the great Water Buffalos on the Front Range. <br />Peter Binney, the Director of Utilities for the City of Aurora, thinks that the Denver Metro <br />area and the Front Range have a"Higher and Better" need for West Slope water. They <br />have the population and the "real", more valid economy of Colorado. Water may be <br />important to the West Slope's economy, but our economy is secondary to the "real" <br />economy found along the Front Range. Tourism and recreation are nice, but expendable. <br />After all, the only value trout have, according to Mr. Binney, is as bait for his preferred <br />salt-water fishing. <br />? EXHIBIT <br /> <br />New <br />??• Se <br />:_• Cc <br />? <br />[ <br />T:: <br />2114? <br />? <br />B? <br />? <br />V'ti <br />W, <br />:.IP.a . <br />http://www.vailtrail.com/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=2444 ti 1 10/15/2004