WSP00954

• File Number: 8220.114
• Description: Dolores Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/1/1970
• Title: News Articles & Press Releases: 1970-1979
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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Coverlp.g the Year 'Round Vacation Land of The Beautihl1 Dolore"

VOLUME U.-VIII

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1974

DOLORES, COLORADO 81323

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Water pot starts to boil I

Water deyelopment man€U- other government entities such' get together there 1I1Jly..be no \
yering has brought abnut some as tile Forest Service, etc. \ Dolores Project and that other
interesting local results recent- This, along with an attempt by I dire consequences with some I
ly as participants mntipue to Felix Sparks of the Colorado I water righl:ll may aJEa result.
juckey for position in the water- Water C'ommission on behalf! Some informed sources claim I
short situation developing in of the Inc'.ialls" has muddied the I to see the handwork (}f Sparks I
the West. Latest roll!ld finds water so to speak. Then more: again bl;ing felt ~ th.e current I
Dolores Water Conservancy recently Sparks came to Corte];! "resolution" proposmg the I
District, which i,s the sponsor- and blistered the Dolores Water Im<>.rging of DWCD and Monte.!
ing and tax-supported orgarJ- O;>nservancy District fqr not I zuma Water Co. which has i
zation to build the Dolores Pro-- being aggressive enough in re-! offices in Dolores and servc-s-
jeet, now adYocati~ takeover solving the w3;t<;r problem-ap-I hundreds of rural water taps
of the Montezuma Water Com- parently meanlllg In part, get-I in the Montezuma Vlilley and
pany which is the local rural Ling to the matter of convincing I as far west as C.ahone and also
water supply organization. Montezuma Valley . Irrigation iparts of Summit Ridge:
The drive for the Dolores Pro- Co'!'pany t<;>. part, with so~e of i The pewer struggle hetween
ject, which Congress has the;r ~n;Utional water nghts i the yarious boards invo]Yed has
authorized and funded for plan- \;~ch .Olloo Dack to the yery, been ~o secret but largely gone
ning but not for construction, I,d fillllgs. I unnoh~ed b~' tlJe general Pu?-
started many years ago and The latest mOve is regarded i ~c which has a large ~e 111
progressed normally ll!Itil re- b~ some as pressure boing ap- i til~ outcome. The c~aun was:
cent years when a sUlt was plIed to get both the Mv1 and i that MVI water .connmtment to.
brought by the U. S. Govern- Montezuma Water to shape up I the: Dolores ~roJect was essr:n-I
ment for adjudication of water and come to terms. Implied is i Hal before it .could be built.,
for the Indian Reservation~ and t.'le threat that if thev do not i Now the claim is that merger t
. 101 the. Mo~tez~'l1a Wate~ Com-
. , . ~-"'~~.i--4",,"""",,'!'-.f.* I pany 15 Iikew+se -essentIal be-I
! lore t.'1e Dolores Pmject is i
I ft~35ible. Some persons involved I
i If"l that the original intent of I
i the Dolores Proiect bas been t
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! so- changed as to now be far
; removed from t.he findings of
i only a few years ago. J\'le3n~
I whiJe the water t"!Jntinues to
-. ::rrm up ;:md rC;JY get quite hot

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