Bush Administration Opposes Fry-Ark Bill

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Bush administration opposes Fry-Ark bill http:// www.chieftain.com/print/archive /2002 /mar /20 /nil.htm S committee members that disputes between Colorado and Kansas over water rights to the Arkansas River have been ongoing for the past 100 years. If the legislation becomes law, it will "cause deep concern to Kansas and potentially cause additional litigation in the event passage results in increased violations of the Arkansas River Compact - a result all too likely in Kansas' view," she said. Moreover, any feasibility study for expanding the Pueblo reservoir would be meaningless, because there is not enough water as it is, she said. "We believe we are already 11,000 cubic feet per second short every year," Stovall said. HR 3881 is sponsored by Rep. Joel Hefley, R- Colorado Springs, and calls for a study of expanding Pueblo Reservoir, as well as reauthorizing the Fry-Ark project. It is based on plans that have been on the drawing board of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District for more than 3 years as a way to serve population growth in the region - projected to hit 1.2 million by 2040. "We need to look for new ways to provide for our water needs," Hefley said at the hearing. "We need the water in Colorado and this plan will allow us to do it in an intelligent and environmentally sensitive way The proposal, known as the Preferred Storage Options Plan, calls for boosting water storage capacity by up to 75,000 acre -feet by the year 2025. Steve Arveschoug, general manager of the Southeastern district, defended the proposal as drafted, saying that he represents 20 local cornrnunities in support of the plan - the same communities that originally supported the Fry -Ark project when it was first approved by Congress in 1962. "Our current population is about 640,000 people and projected to be about 1.5 million in 2040," he said of the nine counties served by the district. "We need to accommodate that growth. We're trying to do the same thing our forefathers did." As proposed, expansion of the Fry-Ark project would be pursued in two phases: the first would provide 50,000 acre -feet by 2010 after making use of existing reservoirs with federal approval. The second phase would expand Lake Pueblo by up to 75,000 acre -feet by the year 2013 and Turquoise Reservoir by up to 19,000 acre -feet in the year 2025. Local funding would pay for the expansion plans, but federal feasibility studies are necessary for the proposed - enlargements. While Pueblo's City Council supports the expansion plan in concept, the city wants a guarantee that there will be an adequate flow of water through the city once the lake is expanded, according to Castle. Arveschoug said the district is interested in providing a guaranteed flow, but the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement. The city has filed for water rights to a minimum flow of 500 cubic feet per second between March and November and 100 cfs during the winter months. That claim has drawn opposition from Aurora, Colorado Springs and other groups that fear the city's water rights might interfere with their ability to conduct water exchanges out of Lake Pueblo in the future. Castle told the committee that an inadequate river flow would jeopardize the plans for a $6.5 million Arkansas River Corridor Legacy Project. Once complete, it will include a nature center, new hiking trails and a boat course that would in part serve the city's low - income residents. 2 of 3 3/20/02 10:09 AM