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VW CIL Lei 11611 LO 13111 %ALP - . U
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<br /> wash out whitewater p.ark
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<br /> • By Randy Wyrick
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<br /> • =- - • Dally Staff Wryer y --ti °
<br /> A Western Slope water cxpert,said Monday that a state ,4. . - ".
<br /> ••�� •k�4 �,
<br /> Senatc bill That could Ieave
<br /> d 'Vail's whitewater. park high . -,.,:,..• r. , . 'i „� ,
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<br /> and dry is yet one more maneuver by Front Range inter . „r; f _'` "' "
<br /> gists trying to grab this region's water. S+- . ,:;� " y ,: , ; • " .':: i '. t ' .
<br /> Senate Bill 216 would put decisions for recreational ... - .... -:
<br /> "water rights in the hands of the Front Range - dominated • -: , - .
<br /> [Colorado Water Conseryation°Board. Those decisions are ' •': • �' ,�: —:;•,
<br /> • snow made by�thc Colorado Statg W Court where all r %a•
<br /> Fthe state's wafer tights decisions have bccn made since `. ;� _`_„
<br /> Colorado becarne a state in 1876_
<br /> "The more I hear about this bill, the more l think it is _ v-• the Front Range trying.to prevent recreational flows in the a j3. 1' f E r
<br /> headwaters that would make it harder to have future trans- ���'_ ( �' -
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<br /> ,�mountain diversions," said Taylor Hawes of the Northwest ` :';. r µ.
<br /> { Colorado Council of Governments' Water Quality and s "` '
<br /> ;Quantity Committee. "There is no reason for this bill. The
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<br /> WaLcr -
<br /> Court works just fine, If it ain't broke, don't fix it! "t
<br /> e water worried -; .,° v o -
<br /> Hawes said Front Ran g at r providers are omed' if �:.,�•
<br /> 1 that any new recreational uses in headwaters counties will =b =
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<br /> t be senior to potential future transmountain diversions. _
<br /> The Senate Committee on Public Policy and Planning .
<br /> .. approved thc bill on a 4 -3 vote, sending it to thc Senate ;
<br /> t.. floor, where it will be debated probably later this week. = -
<br /> The town•of Vail is an applicant for some of those in- '
<br /> ", stream flow rights, and they're against it. On the other . • .• Daily file photo
<br /> :f hand, some Front Range communities are for it," said The town of Vall Is battling a state Senate bill that •
<br /> k.• Eagle County Commissioner Tom Stone, a membcr of thc could drain Its whltewater park. . •
<br /> t Glenwood Springs -based Colorado River Water vation District, which opposes the bill. "Al ou have to do ' � -' Conser-
<br /> ppo s y : "" " :'"
<br /> is pay attention to who's supporting a bill to get a bead on :!:,:::•::'; " ' .. "'
<br /> what its consequences could be ? `..A. •: Among the bill's opponents' are the town of Vail, the ■ Senate B 216,'(eras :state
<br /> .s Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, and the : Senate committee on a. 4-3 vond te•a a s oon hit
<br /> Colorado River Water Conservation District. • the Senate floor : .'.;': "' " ' _"..: • ."` ,':::,.-
<br /> $. The Colorado Water Conservation Board drafted the 1 Th bill::.woul,d :put , decis ion s'.;fde. -. >:
<br /> original version of the bill. It is being sponsored by three _ :.ational' lei rights,in;;the harids Front..;
<br /> Front Range senators- ' C Range-dominated ColoradoWatet Conservation • .
<br /> The town of Vail faces the most immediate impact of BQarcI 4nstead o f le those decisions in the
<br /> . almost any community in the state- A letter from the town : hands;of gig CG State-W ater.Cburt:: :c. ":::•
<br /> of Vail and signed by Vail Mayor Ludwig Kurz asks area :: 11 . The;town .of Vail and : t h e .Northwest - Col -
<br /> residents to call state Sen. Jack Taylor, R- Steamboat , ` l•'orado`Cour>cil :ofGovernmerits s;askt;ng
<br /> x Springs, and urges him to oppose Senate Bill 216.Oppo- "toca1P`..state Sen. Jazk,Ta:Xlor.to urge liis';opposi •
<br /> vents said if the bill passes the Senate, the House will like- lions ,Hiss telephone;.liar it staies .Senate' is:: • , •
<br /> 1 pass it easily. • . , . - . • • ='': (0.) .•8 &-4�6 ..:: ..:'t.i IA.Y...:�0
<br /> rdin to ' letter, which ran in Frida's letters FQ''�ntior"e`::inf r ° � at''o`:'ori~:4.b'enate Bill . ''.
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<br /> r Acco g Kurt y .....-. .....,..1;
<br /> to the editor section of the Vail Daily, the. Colorado Water x :27 6y gq ;"to'. ''tie;, statei: ; ; ,le,;gtsi fti.Pk;; Vet , site ,
<br /> Conservation Board would decide whether to approve a vvww.(eg.state,co.0 OQ:- ::`; :•:r. -,.
<br /> community's application based on factors it determines as .
<br /> appropriate. ,
<br /> "The board's decision would then be binding on the Dennis Gelvin, general manager for Eagle River Water
<br /> Water Court absent a finding that it acted arbitrary and and Sanitation District, said he is mainly concerned that -
<br /> capricious," Kurz wrote in the letter from the town of Vail- the bill would jeopardize the contract between the district '
<br /> Vai1's whitcwater park was completed late last year, and the town. The two entities have a water rights appli- . '
<br /> costing the town $138,000, plus the cost of replacing a cation filed with the Water Court, but it is pending •
<br /> small length of sidewalk by the International Bridge and approval. • :j
<br /> landscaping work around the sidewalk. The park stretches Porzak said the bill could be passed before the Water a •
<br /> from the Gore Creek Promenade to thc International Court is able to rule on the application and could coin -
<br /> Bridge on Gore Creek, about the length of a city block. pletcly block the town's water rights for the kayak park.
<br /> "The (conservation board) has made it very clear they Porzak said it's just one more way for the Front Range
<br /> don't like the diversion and use of water for recreation," to continue the battle for Western Slope water.
<br /> said Glenn Porzak, a water attorney for the Eagle River "It's our hope that other water users will oppose it
<br /> Water and Sanitation District. "They view water for mere- because this bill is a bit of a slippery slope," Porzak said.
<br /> R • ation as not as important and water should only be used for "It's a foot in the door to expand it to affect more tradi-
<br /> the traditional consumptive uses, such as 'municipal, agri- tional diversions :'• .
<br /> cultural and industrial type uses. They don't understand the • Porzak added that the bill could start the process to take .
<br /> re-creation industry and that it's one of thc largest and away water rights from ski companies, which use those
<br /> . - i..hr fnr enoWnvikinl. . .
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