<br />2 . Gunnison Country Times. Thursday, September 12, 2002
<br />
<br />
<br />Exercise in futility
<br />
<br />Kathleen Cuny hit the nail on the
<br />head.
<br />Last week, the manager of the
<br />Upper Gunnison River Water
<br />ConselVancy District expressed in
<br />these pages doubt over her board's
<br />pending application for a water right
<br />thatbasically attempts to keepwater
<br />in the Gunnison River - a noble idea.
<br />Specifically, the appUcation is called
<br />a Recreation In-Channel Diversion
<br />and it's meant to bring recreational
<br />uses to the table when it comes to
<br />determining what constitutes a
<br />beneficial use of water in this state.
<br />The RICO is tied to Gunnison
<br />County' pendlng whilewater pad<.
<br />The park, In fact, is the vehicle
<br />through which the Upper Gunnison
<br />has legal recourse in trying to recog.
<br />nize and protect water recreation.
<br />The Colorado Water ConselVa-
<br />tion Board - AKA <<the Water
<br />Buffaloes" . was in town Tuesdayfor
<br />a hearing on this application, As a
<br />testament to its power in water
<br />maUe[S in this state. this board gets
<br />to review RICO applications and
<br />make recommendations to water
<br />court. It's all new tenitoty. There has
<br />been only one other RICO hearing,
<br />in Pueblo, and ithas yet to be deter-
<br />mined how much weight the courts
<br />will give to these recommendations.
<br />Let's hope not much.
<br />After a great amount of delibera.
<br />tion and an uncanny alliance
<br />between agricultural, envirorunental
<br />and recreational interests was
<br />obtained, the Upper Gunnison moo
<br />the application. Basically, the board
<br />was saying that it's reasonable to be--
<br />lieve that a certain amount of water
<br />should be left in the Gunnison River,
<br />protected from future development,
<br />as a way of recognizing the imper.
<br />tanee of water and the recreation it
<br />provides to the local way of life,
<br />In a switch from most matters
<br />Involving water Ia\\\ thisapplication
<br />made sense. It was saying that the
<br />water right should actually mimic
<br />nature. In other words, in early
<br />~~~latewmmu-~oreand
<br />after run-off . less water should by
<br />law be. forced to remain in the river,
<br />Conversely, during the peak Illn-off
<br />periods more water should Oow.
<br />The disttlct, of course, quantified
<br />this, and did so conservatively. The
<br />application called For a RICO water
<br />right ranging from It low of 270
<br />cubic feet per second in late
<br />September to a high of 1,500 cfs in
<br />late June, In a normal year, which
<br />we all reali%e this isn't, the Gunnison
<br />River flows through town at rates
<br />
<br />sufficiently higher.
<br />But this call to reason fell on deaf
<br />ears with the CWCB,just like Curry
<br />suspected it would,
<br />In a pathetic attempt at defining
<br />what's a reasonable recreation expe~
<br />rienee, the CWCB said 250 cfs was
<br />aU the water necessary to have fun
<br />on the Gunnison River, Not just in
<br />September, or early May, but inJune
<br />andJuly, too. Two-hundredand fifty
<br />cis, barely more than a trickle, is the
<br />Oow amount the WaterBuffaloesare
<br />telling the coun It ought to grant
<br />The CWCB went to nauseating
<br />lenglhs 10 l1y 10 Justify thaI opinion.
<br />The board claimed it was simply try.
<br />ing to comply with the letter of the
<br />law, which dictates "minimum
<br />stream. flow necessary for a reason.
<br />able recreation experience." Is it
<br />unreasonable to expect a peak
<br />run-off after a banner snow year
<br />Oel's pray some of those are headed
<br />our way) of more than 250 cis?
<br />But the underlying issue that real.
<br />Iy explains this stinginess is the
<br />CWCB's desire to protect future
<br />Upper Gunnison Basin water devel.
<br />opment. Whose interests do you
<br />think the CWCB is looking out for?
<br />Let us remind you that it was the
<br />local agricultural community that
<br />actually PROPOSED this right. It
<br />specifically PROTECTED recre~
<br />ation. And all environmentalists
<br />favor keeping more water in the
<br />river.
<br />No, it isn't our interests the
<br />CWCB is looking out for. It is the
<br />interests of the Front Range,
<br /><<They're primarily concerned
<br />about ... how this: could affect the
<br />state's ability to develop Aspinall
<br />Unit water for out-of.basin use,"
<br />Cuny correctly surmised last week.
<br />Never mind that this right would
<br />bejunior to all the existing rights in
<br />this basin. Nevermind that it's not a
<br />consumptive right - it aims at
<br />"using" the water by ,Imply keeping
<br />i.t Rowing right on down the river.
<br />Never mind that this effort has
<br />achieved the closest thing to unani-
<br />mous support as any water issue
<br />since the "Not One Drop" position
<br />was adopted and defended yea[S
<br />ago.
<br />Despite aU the meaningful effort
<br />the Upper Gunnison folks expend~
<br />ed to forward a reasonable
<br />application, the CWCB wants to
<br />adopt what amounts to a meaning.
<br />less water right
<br />Talk about an exercise in futili.ty.
<br />.
<br />
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<br />
<br />COLORADO
<br />PRESS
<br />ASSOCIATION
<br />
<br />The Qunollon Counll)'Tlmn (ISSN0892-11131 Ilpublllhed wnklyby
<br />
<br />A day like no other
<br />
<br />Chris Di,lwy
<br />
<br />Like most, my memories and
<br />emotions from a year ago are vivid
<br />and intense. Unlike many, however,
<br />September of 2001 isn't a time for
<br />me that will forever live in infamy.
<br />It was a typically beautiful early
<br />fall day in the Gunnison Country
<br />when my life was shaken to its core.
<br />Even though I knew fairly well what
<br />was coming, I was hardly prepared
<br />for what I saw. Never before had I
<br />experienced the awesome pain
<br />people can endure. Never before had
<br />I experienced the power of individ.
<br />uals' resolve to fight in order to give
<br />Ufe.
<br />Sttangely, even in the midst of this
<br />chaotic and otherwise frightening
<br />experience, a strange cabo overcame
<br />me, I somehow knew that fooces far
<br />greater than my own were at work
<br />here, that they had been since the
<br />beginning of time, and that things
<br />were going to work out fine.
<br />There are lessons to learn from
<br />such experiences, people say. I agree,
<br />but lessons rarely come easUy. Even
<br />ones that seem so obvious take time
<br />to understand in a way that funda-
<br />mentally changes your life.
<br />I remember taking a late night
<br />walk through the placid streets of
<br />town that evening. I could barely feel
<br />the ground under my feet. Stars were
<br />brighter, The casual conversation
<br />and, yes, even laughter that wafted
<br />into the streets from neighborhood
<br />homessoundoo.somehow sweeter. I
<br />knew I would change, had changed,
<br />would never be ~he same, And I
<br />remember being so overcome by this
<br />realization that when I returned
<br />
<br />indoors I also discovered I'd been
<br />softly crying without really knowing
<br />it.
<br />But mine were not tears of
<br />sorrow. At a time when most of this
<br />nation was overcome with the grief
<br />of death and destruction, I had mag-
<br />ically been lifted up by the spirit of
<br />life, Please don't read that I didn't
<br />grieve or feel remorse for that trag.
<br />ic day one year ago. I did, and still
<br />do - but last September was a time
<br />in which I learned more about life
<br />than I ever had before.
<br />Now, one year later, I'm still
<br />learning. Every day, something new
<br />comes along that if I just sit still
<br />long enough to see reminds me of
<br />the simple beauty of life. An unex-
<br />plained smile here, an unexpected
<br />discovery there taken individually
<br />may seem pretty small or insignifi-
<br />cant. But collectively, these small
<br />sensations paint a profound picture.
<br />What they show is the essence of
<br />being.
<br />The world is more complicated
<br />a year later, most say. On the sur.
<br />face this may be true. We spend
<br />more time worrying about safety.
<br />Howdo we protect ou[Selves from
<br />hidden dangers? If we just uy hard
<br />enough, work long enough, we
<br />might just be able to eradicate all
<br />the unsavory potentialities in life.
<br />We have this misbegotten belief
<br />that we can control everything.
<br />September, 2001, has taught me
<br />different. It's taught me to try less
<br />and to feel more. Its taught me to
<br />quit plotting and planning for
<br />every eventuality. Throw the future
<br />into the hands of faith and love,
<br />and immerse yourself in what's
<br />
<br />here, right now.
<br />You see, September mll.rks
<br />different kind of commemorati
<br />for me, Just a few short days af
<br />that day which no American
<br />ever forget, a day came tlu1.t
<br />even more important to me.
<br />Sept, 17,200I,mywifeand Iw
<br />blessed with the birth of our fi
<br />daughter, Madeline. It was eas
<br />the most spectacular and aweso
<br />day of my life, And it's chang
<br />everything.
<br />Watching this beautiful bei
<br />grow and develop these past
<br />months has taught me so much a
<br />brought more joy than I ever cou
<br />have expected. More than anyth'
<br />though, it's reaffirmed a
<br />absolutely solidified the notion th
<br />all of us are born into this wor
<br />with a set of common characteri
<br />.tics. Chief among these is a simp
<br />spirit of happiness, an uncompl
<br />cated sense of wonder andjoy.
<br />When I look at Madeline and sl1
<br />shoots me that gummy smile,
<br />smile hack. Life isn't so hard, I't
<br />reminded. Everything is, has bee
<br />and always will be all right. All yo
<br />need is love, and that's all a baby i
<br />a reflection of love.
<br />Wt;'re having a party thi
<br />Sunday afternoon for the little on(
<br />Come on by our humble horn
<br />on north 12th Street and say hi.
<br />guarantee she'll make you smile,
<br />.
<br />
<br />W>LETtERS
<br />M' '
<br />
<br />We'll have all the snow we can handle
<br />
<br />
<br />Editor:
<br />In response to the educated but
<br />pessimistic weather forecast of
<br />David W. Inouye, I will go out on a
<br />limb and say, "Yep, it feels like
<br />snow."
<br />For years, I have been under the
<br />mind set that optimism and, pesi.
<br />tive thinking will get me what I
<br />want. So, every year about this time
<br />I start my ritual hopefullness for a
<br />cold and snowy winter. I put my
<br />"Pray For Snow" sign up on the
<br />living room wall. When I have
<br />discussions with friends and visl.
<br />tors about the upcoming winter, I
<br />speak excitedly of why this winter
<br />will be a banner year for snowfall. I
<br />check out my winter toys to see if
<br />
<br />hu
<br />
<br />there is anything to be fixed, shatp-
<br />ened, bought or sold.
<br />This optimism doesn't stop at the
<br />fll'St snowfall. In October, it's, "We
<br />are. gonna get dumped on in
<br />mid.November just before the area
<br />opens." (When is it opening this
<br />year?), In December, it's, <<Major
<br />pow will fall just after the Christ.
<br />mas season, when a lot of our
<br />visitors leave," In January, it's,
<br />"It always snows like a-foot a day in
<br />Febuary:" And just as the ski area is
<br />closing, "Can't wait for that great
<br />backcounuy spring com. Remem.
<br />ber those huge flakes that feU last
<br />year about this time?"
<br />I am sure 1 am not the only one
<br />who looks to winter with such
<br />
<br />optimism, But the fact remains, al
<br />this optimism has not worked
<br />We've prayed, hoped, dreamedanc
<br />forecasted great snow for over fou
<br />years now and have got rockl
<br />terrain and a shorter season. David!
<br />forecast last week gave me nev
<br />hope. If optimism is not working
<br />then maybe a dismal forecast for
<br />not only this next winter, but fOl
<br />the next 25 to 30 yeaIS will do th
<br />trick.
<br />Today, I heard of some snowfa
<br />in the San Juans and near Twi
<br />Lakes, I walked outside and m
<br />heart skipped a beat as I thoug
<br /><<yep, it feels like snow."
<br />
<br />Greg Osgoo
<br />
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