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<br />, <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />But in recent months even more spectacular results have been noted. <br /> <br />Items: <br /> <br />Mayor William H. McNichols, Jr., of Denver appeared at the annual Board <br />of Directors meeting of Club 20 in Grand Junction on February 14. He <br />said: "The answer for all of us is to get together. I pledge support of <br />water projects on both sides of the m01ll1tains. If we don't get the water <br />we need, we will both end up as dustbowls." <br /> <br />He was warmly applauded. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />At the same meeting, James Kermey, member and former President of the <br />Denver Board of Water Commissioners, underlined the Mayor's call for <br />unity. But he also told the predominantly-Western Slope audience that <br />Denver feels it owns some 170,000 acre-feet of water in the Eagle-Piney <br />area (Eagles Nest Wilderness Area), 12,000 acre-feet in the Williams Fork <br />area of Arapaho National Forest, and 8,000 acre-feet in the Straight Creek <br />area near the Eisenhower Tunnel. <br /> <br />Ten years ago that speech would have caused an uproar of protest. As it <br />was, he was applauded most cordially, and not one word of protest came <br />from the 300 persons in the audience. No doubt some of them didn't agree, <br />that Denver should get 190,000 acre-feet of water, but there was no con- <br />frontation. <br /> <br />Just as remarkable was the reaction of The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, <br />until recently a rock-ribbed opponent of any and all transmountain water <br />diversion, to the remarks of the Denver visitors. <br /> <br />In an editorial which appeared in the February 17 edition, The Sentinel <br />called Mayor McNichols' speech "a common-sense message Colorado residents <br />and public officials can ill-afford to ignore." <br /> <br />Then it added: <br /> <br />While we don't mean to suggest that Western Slope residents should <br />acquiesce to every new proposal to divert Western Slope water to <br />the sprawling Front 'Range, it is important for Western Slope resi- <br />dents to realize that legitimate Eastern Slope water needs are not <br />intrinsically wrong. <br /> <br />The critical thing is for interests on both sides of the Continental <br />Divide to work together for the benefit of all whenever possible. <br />It is a message we hope the (state) Legislature would take to heart. <br /> <br />Against that background, Water for Colorado needs to take a catalytic role <br />in making certain that the unique, favorable political environment and <br />multiple opportunities which exist in Colorado and the nation are turned <br />into action on a number of levels. <br /> <br />. <br />