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The broader view Page 1 of 1 The Pueblo Chieftain Online Select file then print to print this article. Publish Date: May 12, 2002 The broader view EDITORIAL The Pueblo Chieftain THE ARKANSAS Valley's future is on the line. As Pueblo City Manager Lee Evett has correctly noted, current legislation in Congress will shape the Arkansas Valley for the next 100 years. He refers to House Resolution 3881, the bill authorizing a study of increasing two reservoirs associated with the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project, but also dealing with how storage space is used. Most of the additional storage space would be utilised by Colorado Springs and other Fountain Valley users, but it also would give space to Pueblo West. Pueblo West was formed after the creation of Fry Ark by legislation signed by President John F. Kennedy. Another part of the legislation would allow long -term storage contracts with Aurora, a city not even in the Arkansas Basin, let alone not within the boundaries of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. The district has filed legal opposition annually against year-to-year storage contracts between Aurora and the Bureau of Reclamation. But now the district has negotiated language for HR 3881 that would codify Aurora's right to storage space even though taxpayers in that huge Denver suburb are not paying the federal government back for building the Fry Ark Taxpayers in the Southeast District are paying that tab tbrou • h their property taxes, though. A majority of directors of the Southeast District have sold the citizens of this valley down the river by agreeing to Aurora's sweetheart deal on the mistaken fear that U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, whose district includes Aurora, would deep -six the enlargement of Pueblo Dam. However, Rep. Tancredo is no longer on the subcommittee that handles this legislation, and he says he has never indicated he would try to interfere with the enlargement We understand he has to represent the interests of his constituents, but we also believe he has the integrity not to harm the Arkansas Valley. While we believe Aurora's impending purchase of more water from the Rocky Ford Ditch is a bad deal for this valley, dependent on the Division 2 water court's approval, we could live with that if HR 3881 were to ban all further diversions out of this valley utilizing Fry-Ark facilities. Aurora has, through an intergovernmental agreement, pledged not to buy any more water from this basET, and the federal legislation reflects that agreement. But the legislation also would allow a future Southeastern District board to approve other purchases and diversions via Fry-Ark That's simply unacceptable, a point that Mr. Evett also makes. Pueblo is the regional retail hub for the communities in Southeast Colorado, and if more water were to he sold out of the basin, there would be less wealth created in the valley, meaning less retail business in this community - and a subsequent lowering of our sales tax base. That fact has not gone unnoticed by some members of City Council, and they should be commended for taking a wider view than the narrow focus of HR 3881 as it currently is written. The current drought should bring home to everyone in this basin what could happen by shipping more water wholesale up north. Furthermore, the more water that would be diverted from near the top of the river, the lower the quality of the water would be. These are all core issues for this entire region that really go to the heart of the matter. We need more people who will take the broader view. 0 1996 -2002 The pueblo Chieftain Online • http:// www.chieftain.com/print/archive /2002 /may112/edil.htm 05/13/2002