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<br />SATURDAY, MAY28, 2005 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Water <br /> <br />deal will <br /> <br />benefit <br /> <br />nature, <br /> <br />people <br /> <br />Project will boost <br />river flow before <br />Western Slope use <br /> <br />ByJenlSmilh <br />ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEW$ <br /> <br />> <br /> <br />'l'he Colorado Water Trust has <br />. ftnallzed 8. deal that will help <br />keep more water In Summit <br />County's scenic Blue River and, <br />in 8. new twist, provide additional <br />water forWestem Slope commu- <br />n1tles, <br />'!'he transaction - the first of <br />its kind In Colorado - means <br />that water will be kept in. a <br />stream fof environmental pur- <br />poses and then used later!orpeo- <br />pIe. <br />"It's a very important demon- <br />stration project,.. sald John Car- <br />ney, executive director of the <br />trust. "We'rego1ngtoU8ethewa~ <br />ter for (envIronmental) flows in <br />Boulder creek and the Blue Riv- <br />er, and then it will be used byoth- <br />ers (once it flows Into the Colo- <br />radoRtVer). <br />"'l'hlslsanapproach thatsatis- <br />fLes what are normally cOmpet- <br />ingwaterinterests." <br />Formed in 2001, the nonprofit <br />water trust's misSion Is to help <br />maintain stream Oows and 00.- <br />vLseothers tryJngtodo the same. <br />But keeping water in streams <br />simply for the environment is ot- <br />ten dlMcult in Colorado beCause <br />If water lsn't captured In a reser- <br />voIr for use by tanns or cities, It <br />eventually flows out of the state. <br />Under this deal, though, the wa- <br />ter will be tully consumed before <br />It reaches the state line. <br />The$130,OOO salewas complet- <br />ed Fr1day. Undertlle terms otthe <br />deal, the water trust is buying <br />about 800 acre teet of water from <br />the Slate Creek Ranch In Sum- <br />mit County. The water, once <br />used to irrigate hay meadows, <br />w1ll flow down Boulder Creek in- <br />to the Blue River, helpIng raise <br />river ievels through the spring <br />and summer, keeping flsh and <br />kayakershappy. <br />Once the water 110ws from the <br />Blue Into the Colorado River, it <br />wID be purchased again by the <br />Colorado River Water Consezva- <br />tionDistrtct, which represents 15 <br />Western Slope counties. <br />Tb.e second purchase means <br />the water trust will be reim- <br />bursed for the orlg1n.al transac- <br />tion costs, glving it more money <br />to buy addItional water rights. <br />Chris Treese, director ot exter- <br />nal affairs tor the GlenwOOd <br />Springs-based elver dlst.:r1ct, said <br />hls agency decided to partlclpate <br />to help the 11edg1lng nonprotlt <br />and because the addItional wa- <br />ter is badly needed on the West- <br />emSlope. <br />"It will go a long way," Treese <br />said. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />amU1lj@'RockyMountainNews.oom <br />or 303-892...'i.l?4 <br /> <br />~7?--- <br /> <br />