Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />. <br />STATE OF COLOMDO <br />~ <br /> <br />1- I <br />DEPARTMENT OF <br />NATURAL <br />RESOURCES <br /> <br />OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 718 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />.... .---. - ~. - -. - <br />rl1Ulle; l,jU,;)} 000-,),) I I <br />TOO: (303) 866-3543 <br />Fax: (303) &66-2115 <br /> <br />NEWS RELEASE <br /> <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br />April 2, 2003 <br /> <br />CONTACT: Dawn Taylor <br />(303) 866-5887 <br /> <br />BilfOwens <br />Governor <br />Greg E. Walcher <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />HISTORIC SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED ON <br />BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON WATER RIGHTS <br /> <br />DENVER - The State of Colorado announced today a historic agreement with the u.s. <br />Department of Interior to settle what is believed to be the most controversial water court case in <br />Colorado history. Greg Walcher, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural <br />Resources, signed the agreement on behalf of the state, along with Commissioner John Keys of the <br />Bureau of Reclamation, Randy Jones ofthe National Park Service, and Colorado Attorney General <br />Ken Salazar. <br /> <br />"This settlement brings an end to a generation-old dispute and ushers in a new era of cooperation <br />with the federal govemment that results in real environmental benefits," said Walcher. "Spending <br />millions on litigation is not the way to protect water rights and the environment, and we commend <br />Secretary Gale Norton and the U.S. Department of Interior for working with us on this innovative <br />h" <br />approac . <br /> <br />Over 383 parties - including the State of Colorado - had gone to court to oppose a National Park <br />Service (NPS) reserved water right claim to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The filing was to <br />quantify a reserved water right awarded to the NPS in water court more than twenty years ago (but <br />never quantified). After Colorado's repeated requests to work with the State on the issue were <br />denied, the NPS filed for quantification on the last day of the Clinton Adminjstration. The filing <br />was structured in a way that could have created drought-like conditions in the Gunnison during <br />some times, and devastating floods at others. <br /> <br />Thousands of West Slope water rights (3,500 water rights upstream of the reservoirs and 3,350 <br />water rights downstream and below the reservoirs), gold medal trout water, power production, <br />irrigation, and recreation could have been seriously impacted. The quantification even raised dam <br />safety issues and the potential of flooding downstream in the Town of Delta. <br /> <br />002353 <br /> <br />Board Qf land Commissioners. Division of Minerals & Geology/Geological Survey <br />Oil & Gas Conservation Commission _ Colorado State Parks _ Division of Forestry <br />Water Conservation Board. Division of Water Resources. Division of Wildlife <br />