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Otero County to assess value of major ditches http: / /www.chieftain.conVprint.php3 ?story =2 <br />y V <br />"The premise is to find ways the farmers could get additional funds for their resources without selling the <br />water permanently from the land," Rose said. "One of the ideas was conservation easements and the <br />establishment of a land trust. We've just about got that finished. We've got a law firm from Denver <br />helping us with it, and we've got a CPA helping us with the tax issues. <br />"The working name is the Arkansas Valley Preservation Land Trust." <br />Rose said there are several farmers who want to donate conservation easements to the trust. The <br />easements would tie the water to the land in perpetuity. <br />"They will be trading the development rights to the land and water for a tax credit from the State of <br />Colorado." <br />The Water Works committee also is pushing for the Arkansas Valley Conduit because water quality has <br />become so poor in the lower Arkansas Valley, federal drinking water standards have become more <br />stringent, and treating water has become so expensive. <br />Phase one of a feasibility study for the conduit should be complete by the end of the year. If no "fatal <br />flaws" in the project are discovered, phase two would get under way. <br />Cost of the pipeline, which would deliver water from the Lake Pueblo to the lower part of the valley, is <br />estimated at $230 million to $250 million. <br />"We have no choice," Rose said. "We have to do this. And we have to do it collectively. We have an <br />economist who can tell us what money is available where - grants, low -cost loans. We're going to try to <br />pick every pocket we can find." <br />©1996 -2000 The pueblo Chieftain Online <br />2 of 2 9/4/01 1:17 PM <br />