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SCREENS. STORM WINDOWS, MIRROR WORK, PICTURE GLASS AND AUTOMOTIVE 109 Hulbert Street South of Grimo's on US 285 Poncha Springs · 719-539-3436 FIRST STREET FURNITURE Be FLOORING C01t\.eI 0f\I i.t1t lX.nd.- maJce., ycune.lf '" home. Complete Lines of Flooring, Furniture and Bedding 139 W First St. Salida' 719-539-6182 10 a.rn, - 5:30 p.rn, . Monday - Saturday John and Sandy Engelbrecht r-1he --- /' I~~ak nwRff-FM 9Z.3-lOG.3 EAGLE COUNIRY HBVC 104-1 F. KVRH-AM 1340 "THE OLDIES STATION" EXPANDED LOCAL NEWS 7 · Noon · 5 Local News Every Hour 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. COMMUNITY FORUM 8:30 a.m. MONDAY-FRIDAY ON THE PEAK & THE OLDIES STATION 7600 CR 120 . Solido CO, 719-539-2575 kbvc@omigo.net 24. CQIQrado Central Magazine. June 2003 The gist of the final coun decision was that there was not 240,000 acre-feet of unappropriated water in the Gunnison Basin. AlmQst every drop was already be- ing put to beneficial use, whether it was irrigating a hay meadow with an 1880 water right, or generating elec- tricity with a 1957 water right, There might be up to 20,000 acre-feet of available water, the coun finally concluded, But that's not enough water to pay for the canals, pipelines, and run- nels required to get that water to the Front Range where there's a need for it. But that was before the Black Canyon settlement. Walcher told me that it was his understanding that any surplus spring flows in the Gunnison would be claimed by Black Canyon with a 2003 priority date. And thus if further water were developed in that basin in the fu- rure, it would have a later priority date - so late as to be worthless. As it is, in the dry year of 2002, the upper GunnisQn ran out of water; the Uncompahgre users had to put in a call tQ get their water, and even at that, they only got 60% of their normal flow. SO WAS ALL THAT PUBUCITY abQut the Gunnison being one of "America's Most Endangered Rivers" just a scare tactic? Not exactly. The big kahuna of water rights in the ba- sin is the Bureau of ReclamatiQn's 1957 right to about 300,000 acre-feet for the Aspinall Project. Of that, 60,000 is set aside for the Upper Basin (called "subordi- nation" in Colowaterese dialect), and presumably could not be divened outside the basin. That leaves 240,000 acre-feet as potential "market- able yield" which Reclamation could presumably sell fQr diversion, and that's enough water for about a mil- lion people, But the Bureau also needs the water in the basin, flowing west, for a variety of purpQses. For one, Bureau construction of reservoirs else- where on the Western Slope has reduced flows into the Colorado, where endangered-fish recovery effQtrs are underway. Aspinall Unit releases are vital. For another, the Bureau needs tQ generate electricity to pay the bills, and not just at the Aspinall Unit but downstream at Glen Canyon and Hoover dams. Sending the water east would not only reduce power-generation and consequent revenues, but it would also require electricity for pumping. Compen- sating for the lost revenues could add substantially to the costs. If some development-minded Commissioner of Rec- lamation decided to sell this water tQ the Front Range, there would be a host Qf litigation, all arguing that the Bureau was ignoring its other obligations. So Blue Mesa Reservoir, even if it really has 240,000 wet acre-feet of "marketable yield" (Walcher doesn't think it does, and neither did the water judge), is not going to be a cheap or easy place to get water for the Front Range, Another course for the Front Range might be even ,i '00l Jl' J. ,