Panel Told Water Law Changes are Needed: Pueblo Chieftain

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The Pueblo Chieftain Online I Tuesday aummerfest W interfest Guidebook Spring Runoff Pueblo Zoo FOCUS ON YOUTH: Headbone Zone Images Classroom Chieftain School District 60 School District 70 Pueblo Library District wysiwyg: //57 /http: / /www.chieftai n.com /thursday /news /display. php3 ?article =4 Puebloan Bob Jackson was one of three panel members who discussed water leasing and other water exchange ideas at the meeting. "The water rights system is going to change," Jackson said. y "It's done a remarkable job of distributing a scarce resource since the 1860s. It's a good system, but it has some ��.. problems I think can be solved. "It's our opinion that no water right should be available for transfer out of Colorado. There may be 1 million acre -feet (of water) on the Western Slope that's available, but they should be able to use it there. "There should be no water law that allows the transfer of (wat� ht�_f_rncm one basin to another. "Quality should be an issue in water law." Jackson said he'd like to see such changes be approved by the Legislature, but it might take the initiative process to achieve them. "All these innovative things (water leasing, water banks, interruptible supply contracts) that have been suggested here today can't be done if the (water) raids continue, if the water quality is poor," he said. Beulah -area rancher Reeves Brown told the commission it has the ability to shape the appearance of Colorado for years to come. "We've got to do something about saving this land," he said. "Term easements are a short -term fix. I hope you won't be seduced by them. Preservation in the long term will serve the people a whole lot better. "The saying, 'As agriculture goes, so goes the country,' is still true today. There's got to be an_ alternative to taking lance nd out otproduction." Dave Carr, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers pion, said'low commodity prices are the reason farmers are selling their land to developers and their water rights to the highest bidder. "Ten or 15 years ago, farmers and ranchers were very concerned about their sons and daughters being able to take over their operations. Now, they are advising them not to." He said one way to encourage farmers to stay on the land is to cultivate the idea of "multi- functionality" - to compensate them for providing open space, watershed and wildlife habitat as well as for producing crops. E-mail this story to a friend Print this story 2 of 3 8/29/00 12:29 PM