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... 00257' Nebraska. and they sustain almost half of the swe's cattle, Dick Gersib. a state Game and Parks Commission wetlands specialist who participated in the federal field studies in Nebraska, said that a high percentage of temporary and seasonal wetlands would fall out of jurisdiction under the proposed policy. Source: Montrose Daily Press 11/11191. Ft, Collins Coloradoan 10/13191. Denver Post 11110191 Arvada Counell Rejects Plan to Buy Wetlands The Arvada City council voted against a plan to buy the 13-acre Two Ponds Wetlands to prevent it from becoming a 20-home developmenl The resolution to buy the land for $375.000 failed 4 to 3. The propeny is held by the Resolution Trust Corporation. Source: Rocky Moontain News 11/1191 Compact States Reject California Request for More Water Most of the Colorado River Basin States have rejected California's effort to obtain a larger share of Colorado River water. Colorado Governor Roy Romer didn't rule out the idea, but listed six problems that would have to be solved before talks could begin on a water bank. Romer has suggested an "escrow acCOWlt" plan, under which the upper.basin states would ass\.tte California of extra Colorado River water over the next 20 years, while California takes action to conserve water. The escrow levels would gradually drop over the 20 years, whether California meets conservation goals or not. Arizona and New Mexico have both rejected this proposal, siting lack of asswances for their future water supplies and the need for California to reduce its use to Compact levels. Source: Grand Jonction Daily Sentinel 10125191. 11/5191 Native Americans Gain Seat at Colorado River Planning Table Seven Native American tribes from the Colorado River Basin sent their lawyers to the November meeting of basin states and secured a seat at the table. The meeting was part of a five-year planning process under way between the seven Colorado River Basin states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Native Americans were not included in the talks leading up to the 1922 Colorado River compact but hold water rights that date back to the mid-1800s. Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel 11/16191. 10124191 WATER DEVELOPMENT Judge Rules Arapahoe to Get Fraction of Water Sought Robert Brown. a Gunnison water court judge has ruled that there is only 20.000 acre-feet of water available for Arapahoe Coonty's Union Parle project. Arapahoe Coonty had claimeed that there were 97,000 to 156,000 acre-feet of water available, The county was seeking permission to build diversion on the East and Taylor rivers and to collect the water in a reservoir to be constructed at Union Parle. then piped to Denver suburbs. Source: Rocky Mountain News 10122191. Monlrose Daily Press 10122191 23 Ground Broken at Anlmas,La Plata SIte Assistant Interior SecretaIy John Sayre detonated a symbolic explosion October 26 at the planned site of the Animas-La Plata water projecL The grnund- breaking was originally scheduled last year but was cancelled when the Fish and Wildife Service said that water depletions from the project would endanger the Colorado squaw fish and razorback sucker in the San Juan River system. In a compromise. the FWS agreed that a portion of the project could be built while scientists study the needs of the fISh. The federal government will build a smaller first stage than originally planned. with one reservoir, pumping plant and pipeline. Federal officials plan to compensate for enviromnental damage caused by Animas-La Plata by releasing extra water for the fish from an existing dam at Navajo Reservoir. The project honors N alive American water rights promised more than 100 years ago in frontier peace treaties. The Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund and five other environmental groups have told the Bureau of Reclamation that they will sue if construction begins without a new environmental study. Source: Denver Post 10126191, Ft. Collins Coloradoan 10127191, Grand Jonction Daily Sentinel 10/16191 Homestake II Land,use Permit Rejection Affirmed Eagle C01U1ty commissioners reaffrrmed a decision denying Aurora and Colorado Springs a land-use permit to develop water resources in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area near Vail. Colorado. District Judge William Jones ordered the re-evaluation in July after a two- year court battle over the criteria used to reject the permit. Opponents of the Homestake n Project fear it will destroy wilderness wetlands. Source: Rocky Moontain News 11/26191 Denver Decides Not to Sue Over Two Forks The Denver Water Board decided not to sue the federal government for its rejection of permits for the Two Forks dam project when EP A clarified that its veto was for the three projects proposed at the Two Forks site, not for the site itself. Denver plans to sell surplus water supplies to the suburbs. Eight subwbs have moo suit against EP A in an attempt to overturn the veto. The suburbs are Platte Canyon, Southwest Melropolitan, Alameda, Bear Creek. Bennett, Bear Creek Farms, Consolidated Mutual, Meadowbrook and Willowbrook, Source: Rocky Moontain News 11123191. Denver Post 11122191. AWWA Main Stream 10191 Water Judge Rules Against San Luis Valley Project Water court Judge Robert W, Ogburn ruled that the grOlmdwater sought by A WDI for its proposed San Luis Valley project did not meet the definition of non-tributary groundwater. AWDI wants to sink 92 wells on its Baca Grant Ranch and pump 200.0000 acre-feet of water from the San Luis Valley aquifer to sell to Front Range cities. A WDI lllans to pursue the case to the Colorado Supreme Court while considering fIling for surface-water rights, Source: Rocky Moontain News 11125191, 11123191