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DElV R & THE WEST ,WE DNESDAY, MARon 30, 2005 House lawmakers vow to reg roup: ' gr p The issues riot dead" Thegoal is to clarify.state water Diane Hoppe, R- Sterling, said she would law on recreation appropriations be working with Democrats in the coming versus the needs of industry days to come up with a different approach, agriculture and development. one that might,eniq more support from House Democrats. "The issue's not dead," she said after re- ceiving permission from Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to file a new bill. "we're going to continue work - ing She and Democratic House Majority Leader Alice Madden of Boulder will meet soon to discuss what compromises can be struck to make Colorado water law clearer on the appropriation of water for recre- ation, they said "There's got to be a happy medium where we're not pitting ,agriculture against recreation," Madden said. "I think there is.a need, and we'll address iv The need fou new law, the lawmakers said, was emphasize4 by a footnote in a re- cent Colorado. Supreme t;vurt decision that asked lawmakers to make water law less vague when it comes to, recreational use. Democrats dominated Tuesday's floor debate, decrying 0'62 as anti - tourism. By Jim Hughes Denver Post Staff Writer Lawmakers killed a controversial cap on water allocations for whitewater recre- ation Tuesday, but Democrats and.Repub- licans say they are going back to the draw- ing board to see if they can come up with a compromise. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jack Taylor, R- Steamboat Springs, called the failure of Senate Bill 62 in Tuesday's House voice vote "a tragedy for the future of Colorado" because all water interests in the state could be made vulnerable by towns that seek future water rights for whitewater kayak play parks. But at least a discussion has been opened on the issue, he added. Existing whitewater courses had been exempted from the measure. The House co- sponsor of the bill, Rep: Rep. Tom Plant, D- Nederland, a former whitewater guide on the Arkansas River, argued that a 350 cubic - feet - per- second cap on whitewater allocations was an "ab- solutely idiotic" thing to pit intoaw. The gradient and chamiW $, e o�each in- dividual river has to, be . d gi&red to know how much water is enough to create a viable whitewater experience, he said. But opponents, mostly Republicans, said that whitewater play parks should not threaten the water needs of agriculture, in- dustry and residential development. "If there's any left (after those uses), then we can.have recreational use," said Rep. Ray Rose, R- Montrose. Hoppe said she expects. the new bill to be written without the 350 cis limit that Democrats opposed so strongly and to som how emphasize the municipal needs that V any lawmakers have to answer to in' the districts. " issue is extremely important, espe- cialy to all those people that represent a me opolitan area" at the Capitol, she said. Staff writer Jim Hughes can be reached at 3 or jhughes @denverpostcom.