WSPP00139 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

IVAL GOSLIN' Excerpts of Keynote Speech at Colorado . \\'aler Storage Projects Ovt'rview, June 13. 1980 One of the fathers of this great nation. a philosopher. politician. rinancial wizard, am. bassadof. invenlor, aUlhor. progressive developer. and guardian of nalural resources, Benjamin Franklin. has bp.en credited with many noteworthy qUfllalions. You all know ahout. "A penny saved is a penny earned", Bul did you know that Benjamin Franklin was also well-versed in the value of the conservation of water? Over 200 years ago he said. "You never know the worth ofwaleruntillhe well is dry", CoJoradansare way ahead orBen Franklin. We know we are facing a waler crisis. We know the worlh of Wafer, and we are not going to let Colorado's well go dry. . . . . . The White House brainless trust. the Water Resources Council. and the Deparlment of the Interior hierarchy have proved time and again their inabilit), to realize that the storage of water in reservoirs i8 the conservation of \vater for subse- quent use when it is needed - instead of allowing it to go to waste when it is available. Inability on the part of IheSf! Federal entities to grasp this fundamental concept - or perhaps I should say intentional refusal to recognize that in Colorado and the West conservation of water by reservoir storage is necessary for survival. is the principal reAson for our difficulties today in gelling proper recognition for water storage projects. Inept incompetence at the Federal level has led to the adoption of a policy of delaying, hamstringing. and outright preventing of the development of water resource projects that involve irrigatedagricuJture. This obstructionism was effectively accomplished by fhe publication in the Federal Register by the Water Resources Council of its "Principles and Standards and Procedures for Planning Water and Related Land Resources". , . ... Under theadminislration's new Principles and Standards it is going to be virtually impossible fora Colorado Reclamation project with a preponderance of irrigated agriculture to have a benefit-cost ratio exceeding 1:1... . . . There Are many opportunities in Colorado to develop small hydroelectriC generating stations, some with small amounts of water but high heads in conneclion wilh water collection systems for ex- isting and proposed irrigation projects. Can this hydro-generation be accomplished? It could be, if we could gel those in government to realize that we are in need of elf'ctric energy and that in evaluating the benefits of the blc ratio is only one 1001. and only one item that should be evaluated so far as human social welfare is concerned. When we need energy so badly, why don't we adopt the policy of doing somethina instead of permitting the ble ratio to be the ultimate obstacle that says in frustrating terms, "You don't do it"? How about prodUcing energy under a cost.effectiveness policy, if we, in fact, need it? If you really need a house to keep your family warm, you do nol let your family freeze to death while you spend a year or two trying to figure a ... favorable blc ratio. You get 10 work and build thl! best house you can for the least money. YOll suddenly become cost-effective conscious instead of baloney/crazy-for ble ratio. We need another change in policy al the national level. . . '" Both the Congress and the Carter Administra- tion are belatedly starting to make noises as if they intended for energy development in Colorado to become something more than a dream. Ifso, water is going 10 be needed, and reservoirs are goinR to be necessary to conserve spring run-off for year- around use. A weak link in Ihe water-energy picture seems to be the element of timing. No one associated with energy development - especially from oil shale - appears to say anything about wanting water at a specific (ime - except to say that it will be needed in the future. No one wants to be pinned down to 1965, 1990, 1995. or any 01 her date. And I don't blame the energy companies. What else can they say with a Tower of Babel energy non-policy facing them? Therefore, why not initiate construc- tion of conservation reservoirs for water now for irrigation, municipal. domestic, industrial. fish and wildlife, and recrenlional purposes with additional space for future energy development? In a national crisis such as the one relating to energy, the Federal government could defer the repayment of those costs allocated to energy development until the water is actually needed. There are precedents for such procedures. The Boy Scouts have a molto. "BE PREPARED". In the interest of nalional defense alone, with its insatiable appetite for energy, 'that mollo is ex- cellent. Again - perhaps we can influence and secure a change of policy atlhe national level. if we go about the political process in an effective manner.. . . .. It appears obvious that in the future Colorado is going to have todo more than ever, both to protect the right to use its water resources in the State and to construct conservation storage for water. The 1960's may be the most crucial decade in Colorado's history so far as water is concerned. InIGo.1i1l IVIII GOS/In wos Exec Dlf'l!Clor of the Upper Colorodo River Commi!<5JOn for 25 Yf'Or,. flll's now a tonsu/laMlo Weslern EnRinel'r5 In Grand lunclion 20 MOllte Pascoe Monle Pascot' is E'u~culiv", DiN!'l:lor of the C%rado Deparlmenl of Nalura' ResourCfl5.