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<br />
<br />~aturally limited water resources, drought and growth team up to send
<br />southern La Plata County on the hunt for new waU,'r supplies
<br />
<br />W..:IIS art' g,'lni.: dn In LI
<br />rlau Cl'Ulll~' _\nJ ('\Tn
<br />Ihoug,h lhl" ..\lllm3~.L.1
<br />rlau rfl\J~\-,t ..-urrenlh
<br />under ..:\-mslrudll'll just outside f'lurall~ll
<br />\\ill b.:: d"dlcHed t'xdusiyt:ly I" tnb;tl and
<br />munk'IP;t1 \\,u,.r Lbt' It will n'lt sallsf~'
<br />,111 of the l.:l.'unty"s dem,mds fllT p(ltahl,.
<br />drinking \\':ller
<br />L,'cHed In th,' :Ind rom C"fners
<br />rq;loll. LI Plal,L C(lumy IS h"lTlt: 1,' "'-'fi"
<br />-1-7,<.10l' rl.~ldenb .-\hhl,uj;',h ~llll prcJ"lTll-
<br />natdy rural \\ Hh .m eU'Il"lTl} dn\'l'll by
<br />t"urism, nJtur;tl r~:>l'LLrc.: eXtr.111I,ln .Ind
<br />agn.:u!ture. th,' .:ounly did not C'>CI!,l'
<br />tht' ~rll\\lh btl,lm (If Ih,' \yuOs l ounl~
<br />re<:orJ"show that ulre<:tly ea~I"f Durang'l,
<br />in the Bayfleld ,llld 19n..h:w ;lr,,;IS, Ilwrr
<br />were S,'lTlC 11..J.t<K 11<:\\' Ih111smg SI,If!"
<br />belween ILl7t'oand 20011 "-"lTlt',':-.ped lhe
<br />popu!.lllon 1(1 qU.1druplt' o\'\:r lh... n,'Xl )l'
<br />W.J.l1years_
<br />The n:(CIl! Jr,'ught J.I':>O sef\CU III hl~h-
<br />lighl whal growlh will do I" IlK;!1 wala
<br />delTlJ.nJs, and 10 ull{k-rhne Slluthem LI
<br />P!ala Countys p..'ndmg lnSI!' m J,lllW~Il<:
<br />water supply The sIgn.. J.rt:' thae 1;llhn,c;
<br />wall'f t,tblcs, wells .c:OI1,' dry. ,mcl ~pllng.<,
<br />pumpmg ;\t half lht'lr n'lnn,l) l.lp,l..:ity
<br />
<br />SOt tl1\\'''' L, PI.IT\ C~)t'n
<br />Fl1r r~.~IJl"nb of Irw La Ptu;\ RI\Tr
<br />Valley west llf Durango. dnnklll~ \\;lln
<br />from the ,\nmlJ.s-Ll Plata rnl)<,ct will
<br />dTTI\'C n"lll' t".., ~,',1!l \\'hill" the fmal ':011-
<br />fi.gurall<lll of Ihe ALP pWJe<.:t WJ.S ~lllrpt..d
<br />01 ;lgncuhurallrng;lli<.:>n W;l!n Ihat would
<br />ha\'l' lransf~'m1t'd 11ll' \'all,'y~ bOll .lllU
<br />ranch <'lllrwrny, ll:llUr,llIy hmltnl ~urf.ll,'
<br />\\-,lIl'r ,U1d p,l,'r gwunJ w;ltl'r 411allt~, h:t\'l:
<br />Jls\) PUI a damper on thl' J.ri.'J.'~ n:~ldenll;11
<br />de\'cl(lpmcnl~Jt leaq for n.-,\\
<br />Cum'mly, ,1fJout half the lamlltrs III
<br />thIS ..p<lr......ly P('pulated arca get th,'lr
<br />dnnklll"':: water fwm ground \\-al,'r well,.
<br />Olhas, faced with .:llher p~l<.:>r water qual-
<br />Ity or dry wells, musI haul theIr W.ller
<br />from Durang" M fr,'n1 .I n,IlLlrJI ,lneSI.1n
<br />,;"lHU' called \bf\'l'1 :'pnn.c:~
<br />~OlTle ] ~kl f;lIl11h's ;lft' ~rwd h~'
<br />
<br />'0
<br />
<br />B\Cn,\I,'yo
<br />
<br />\!.If\'d ~l'nll)o:~, rdales Brkr Le,' pre~l-
<br />denl ,,( lh,. L.l 1'1.1!.l \\,lll'f L,lllxf\',lll,'Y
<br />Dlstnl! .-\"..'rdmg [(l Ln.., dellund Ipr
<br />\I,If\TI "pnnll,S \~,Un n:!l,xb Ihe ",,-'\,<,my
<br />..It the arC.l<, W;l1cr supply pfllblcms_ ;Jnu
<br />Ihl, ~pnn~ Openl'llleJ ,I dr;lm;1lh: sur~,. lrl
<br />U<"" dllnng tho: dr,1ughl,\1 ]:(\'2 [\'':llIuJ.J1y
<br />the} \wre n:qllJr<:d III IThl,dl ~ 'k,'\' 'YSl,'m
<br />\\,h;.'Tf f.lmlh~'" mu"t p.ty f,'r use .mJ
<br />11l1!,')S<.' ,I ] ~l\).~,lllon fIll-up hnl!!
<br />T!,... ~<lrlh j,'r Il>llJ;:-t,'rnl ~"hlll<lIl~
<br />I.' Ihe ,Ir".,b dom'.'lll \\-;Her pmhlem~
<br />has bel.n :Ln llllg,'lng cl,lbbor,I!I\'e l'lh>n
<br />lIly"h-mg thl. ,-\mm,l".LI Pl.1ta \\'310
<br />LOnSCf\',llh \ [)I~lnd. L1 rl.ll;1 t~otLmy. Ll
<br />l'bt.l \\;ll<'r L-llllSCf\'_IIl'-y, ~,llllhweqcm
<br />\\atL'r ("nSl.'rY,III,,'n DlSlrld Hure,tu "f
<br />R..d:muu,'n ..md "t.'\'l'r.:Il :\,'\\ \k.\ll.llenU-
<br />tl,.~ R.:t:ently. th.:x. ,lr/:.lm::.lll,ln, ,b~lsteJ
<br />mIll(' ft'rm'l!Lnn \)IIIll' n,m-rnlht LL r1.lta
<br />\\hl \\',l1n c.,mpJ.IlY to ldenuly 'i<.,Iutll'n~
<br />hllh,' rq:.1tln's !x,t,lhk \\;ller chkmmJ';'
<br />Th"lr ",-llwl,lIlS h;l\'<.' ,1 (enatn JnwlInl
<br />III ur).'.l'l1t'y "-,Her lrom ..'I,P IS ;;till SI,'\-
<br />nJ.1 \"l>ah ,1\\';l\'---the fl'<",'f\'lllr IS n"t e\'ell
<br />npet'led 1(' tin fllr an,lther <;('\en Y'l'3rs-----
<br />,mJ there IS n,' fUlldme; III Ih,' pm]e,-t 1,1
<br />m\I\',' the \\"ll.:r ,Wl'f t~l Ih.. 1...1 P!J.t,1 ,lr,'.l
<br />R<'j,;,lrJk,~, the- \\'.Ul."r slIpply "uuatl<1Il III
<br />thf \'.Ilky IS rapidly lksr-.IJmg R,'l.:oll
<br />drought h;l;; [edmed <urblc lmr:-illl'll dr;l-
<br />mallCllh, :-<..1 rnllm n"\,,, (\\',ll,'r not laken
<br />IIp by (f,>!,s ,mu n, ,t n:turnnJ III ground
<br />w,ll,'r \lr n\'l'r~) an' n<ll ft... h.Hgmg Ihe ~h.]l-
<br />1..,\\ ,14u1I<-r:. like lh..'}' ,m..:,' did [\en !l(lWS
<br />.II \1.If\'el "pnng.- h3\'(> Jr"pp....d IW,llm,><t
<br />h,tlfllllhebsl St:\l'f.I!ye,lr<
<br />-Bt''':Ju,;,: Rid).'.,'" Bd.,1Il Res(.f\','lr WIll
<br />n,'1 e\Tn ~Lln filltn" unlll 1\),lLl_ we're
<br />I,'oklllc; ,ll lI1h:nm ~\-Jlllul.'ns 111 ,>uppl)'
<br />,'ur ..:urr,.m lle,'J,,- S;I\;; \\;nk L1ngt,'rJ.
<br />pn'51dem "~I L.l Plata \\CSt People nl'L'd
<br />waler nl>\~
<br />llnr pr<'po<;JI IS 1<) huy l\De milli,ln pI-
<br />lon;; fX'r m''lllh 01 lreJted water frllm Iht.
<br />L:ppu L1 ['1.11.1 \\-.Iler LOsers A~~')l.l:lti,'n
<br />III huminj;',t\1n, :\1"\\' \1.:_'i1\:(1 Tlut waler
<br />Wtlldd Ill' ddl\TrnllP lh.' C"lnraJ<.l.:\':\'
<br />\k-Xlu' <t;lle hnt' thwu\:h J net\\'<lrk <Ii
<br />dlstnhwllm plpellllt'~ But hek're lhL~
<br />
<br />",'uIJ happ.:n, .1 kll,:.1! dl'h\'tT)' :;.y"tem
<br />wlluld n"'c'd Il1 h" IWblrudrd Ll rlata
<br />\\\.'st \\'.ltn CO I" <,uITO:lllly (llndlllllllg
<br />Iq,:al Jnd cngll1ce-nn~ slw,JJc~ to.' c-\'aluale
<br />the r.:;l~tblhty "j Ihl" ;l!tem,lll\'C
<br />Un.. thmg IS L,'rr.ltn, 11 \nm'l c"rne
<br />dl":;IP, r;lt Lire<"f, ,1 l,mg-timc \'31ley r61-
<br />d.:nt ;lllJ -k.:qwr <.)( th" wt'1l" ,1\ \tln...\
<br />"-rnn~s, \\,'nder~ what' thl' moncy will
<br />l,l!ll<.' tTllm III con;;tnKI suc-h .1 dlSlnbu-
<br />!lun ~\'~I<.'m 'Thl' I;; such ,I lll'nr <,(lm-
<br />munny, (,rc,'r Wtlm6 'It l11;1Y Ix' hMd
<br />Il.l g,'t II Itht' dlstnhulh'n ~Y~l,'ml paid
<br />bJLk "-hanng lh;.!l nm(crn. Ihi: LI P!.uJ.
<br />\\'e~t \\'.1ter ell h.l~ st,ll~'d il" llllentlc\!l
<br />III st:t'k fundlllg Ir~'m lhc t:lllted "1;tll'S
<br />rh:p;ml1lent ..I ..\ll,n>.-'\llturc lC"D.-\l ;md
<br />"thl'r ",lurer;. W ~llpp!ernenl p.lyrnetlts
<br />Irl'ml\lud usns
<br />h'l llnlLl theS{' ~(ln:'o ~)l Issue" Lm bt.'
<br />resolwd many b rlatJ \Jlley re"ldent..
<br />will l'(lntllllll' III h,lul \\';11,"[, onl' bad J.\
<br />J IlIne, rl"Th;lr~ \\ondenn,.: hll\.\- lheir
<br />lJ.nds;,:.lp,' lll;lY Lh.lllg~' Wht'll nl,'r,. water
<br />j"r h"lTl.:,,-but n.ll L1mb-;1rn\'l'~ 1Il
<br />tlll'lr \;tlln-
<br />
<br /><jilt III/ \q L-\ PI \1\ COl '1\
<br />In rl.,-ent year<, dr"\lghl Jnd nalUr;ll1y
<br />hmllni \\;l!er re~('ur<:c~ haw <<'mhml'd
<br />with.] good lll('JSUr,' "I r('~idl"n1l31 dewl-
<br />l'pml"lll III threalen the gr'lund \\';lIlT
<br />~lIpplrcs .:nJP)'t'J hy 1'1 th,lU5;md.. "f hl'iTJ,
<br />l'\-'\Inns J.nd hu".m;:s,;e~ III "-<llithe,hlem
<br />J.l rlata C~'unt~
<br />The L<ltlll!rY~ld,. ~llll[he,I"( <.)1 Dur,m~o
<br />h ;t mi:\lurc pI tnh,ll. pnvatl' ~1.1l\' anJ
<br />kder,ll bnJs .-\lth"Ugh t,lwns sUth ,IS
<br />Bayfle-Id Jnd !~aC1'" hal'e lhell l'wn
<br />mUllldp;11 water sy:;tem~, tn\' Ill<Lj"nt~
<br />ll! lrl(31 rl'~ldelll" u<(' pm',llc wrlb \1.ltl\
<br />well.. 1,111 the ~h.]lIl1\\, grllunJwJ.t.:r ,lqlli-
<br />fa~ lhot underhe lht' n:~IOI1-;l4Ulkb
<br />lhal rt'ly pnlllJ.nly ,In r.:..:hJ.rge fmm PI\,-
<br />l'iplt;JU<ln and .J~nLu!lUr31 relurn 11,)\\.;
<br />Bm chan~lll~ bnd use ilnd droughl ;Ir,.
<br />.;1rCSSlll~ Ihc<.t., hmlled rl'",:>UTi"',, ~~'\'el':
<br />drought h.l<, JraslluIly rt'dU\-t'J 1\,'1 ,1nll'
<br />thl' ,lm,'unt of n;uural rrf.:ipil,Hllln !l1Jk-
<br />tn..:: ll~ way LnIO the .lqUlflT~, hut 11 ha-
<br />
<br />COLORADO FOUNDATION FOR WATER EOUCATION
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