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<br />Will Denver Be To Western Colorado
<br />What Los Angeles Is To Owens Valley?
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<br />'/'lw unly diill'n',,,.,' h"lll ",'U II/WI SIW,.,UiH' did to (;"'H:::;'I ""tI" Iwt /.u.. ..In.::'.".... IlitllO
<br />IIU' ()lIl'n... I i,1I1'.'" i... ,1r.II {;,'or,::;" 1"t'f"H f'n',I. II hilt, '",111.' ,If.".,." /lilll'/W"" I'hllu/I"""I ill (iIIif'
<br />of II ilr antl/"..".", IUUJllI ,lIullll,..,. f"lI' .If.,'''.'' lJin f' I,,"'" ."0 1"'1'lll;'II"III/'1 f/", "..IiI",,1 ;f." IIII'
<br />Onl'n... ";,ll",. 11/".1'" ,1", I"'", lii,'lIhuul II iI.'" ..."alr/H'd fIY,", it.. aON". ;1.... ,II'(f'ri",,,, "II",. j,..
<br />f""p;J/"ri,..... . .
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<br />PARALLELS
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<br />1. Prt'"idt'ntial Inlt'fHnLiun In l'dOli. Pn.si{h'ht
<br />Theodort> Hno~'n.lt's influt'nc,," was dtt.d as thl' k",\" fae'
<br />tor in CongH'ss approdng a projl'1.:1 thal would" takl'
<br />Ow{'ns Vall",.\' water lO Los An~elL's, ralht'r than lht>
<br />original rt'{:i<unation projp('t designt'd to uS[' watN in th~.
<br />\'allI:'Y. In 1907. r('~ponJing !O <l rt'<Jut'~t from Dt'n\t'r
<br />inlkrests. Hoost.\.plt ....ithdrt'w <l n'(.'lamation rl'st'rYation
<br />in Gorp Canyon. Colorado. t'liminating a majnr ohstacl(.
<br />to thp \loffat Hoad. I n the- formt'r, tht, t'fft'(.t was t/1
<br />remo\"e thl' last stumbling block to the Los An~:wlf's
<br />diversion and kill forewr an\' [t'al .....att'r const'r\":ltion
<br />projl'Ct in O.....l'ns Valley. I n tin> laul'r, tht' t'fft'd wa~ lo
<br />facilitat.e lhp .\Ioffat HOiJd and it", watt'r tllnnt'!. and quitl'
<br />possihly kill throu~h diminjshl'd ft'asibility. U!'I' of (;ort'
<br />Canyon for storagp h.\" \\"ps({'rn Coloradans
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<br />2. Con!'t'n'lItinn Standards. Los :\ngplt's. though
<br />notorioush' wash..ful ....ith its water, forn'(j ennS('r\':Jtion.
<br />mind('(j l'~Slonlt'rS in thl' (h""l'I1S Valle\" onLO nn>tt'rs.
<br />Den\"t'r. whil'h ta!(t's suhstantial amounts of watpr from
<br />\\'estprn Colorado, W!ll'ft. mosl citips and largt> ttlwns
<br />an' fully nwtl'rpd. has ,tpproximatd~' ~Y,OOO unnwtt'rH.1
<br />houst'holds.
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<br />3. Fl-dt'ral Landlord. ..\ majority of tht, land in Owens
<br />Vall(,\' and \\'l'stprn Colorado is ft'<lt'ralh- eontrnllt'(l.
<br />\\'hH~ t'n\-lronmental quality and rl'sl'rn'(t"rights ISSUt'S
<br />han' !)f>(>n promint'nt in fl'('l'nt Yt'ars, during thp first
<br />six df'cadt's of this ('l'ntury. thp formatin' yt:'ars of major
<br />water di\'t'rsions, h'lleral land "management" was
<br />minimal. Indl'(--d, tht, \"i~.;lanc('. prolt'(.tinnism and con.
<br />('pro for futurl' \"illu(' would likl'l\" ha\"f' I~~'n far /-,'Tp:.ltt'r
<br />on a pri\'atl'ly OWnl'll tract tha'n w'ith ft'lit'ral control,
<br />which in tho~l' da.\"s. was prob[lhly mort' eonducin. tn
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<br />such proj('('ts.
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<br />..L Hi.stor\". Tht' Pa.iull's wert' pushl'tj from Owens
<br />VaUe\" around l:--Il~ and thE:' first whitt' ~ltlers Il1ml.'f.l
<br />in. TtlP Utes wt'rt' pushed from much of \\'f>stl'rn Cob.
<br />rado around I~N) and whitt:' settlt'rs mo\('(1 in. 111('r(' .....as
<br />major sihw and lead mining in Owt'ns \"allt.y from 1:-;6""
<br />to 1f,-;7. a tungst('n hoom in tht' ntid.19:)lls and tun1-.~tt'n
<br />is still ht'ing mint'll today. Tht.ft, .....as major sih-t'r and
<br />otht'r m(>tal mining in thl' 19th t'l.ntury's last half in
<br />\\'t-'stem Colorado. a uranium ho,o01 in thl' m.id.19;JO!' and
<br />mt'tallk and nnn-ml'tallk mining still t~bh:" and Oo.....s_
<br />
<br />;J. Walt'r Itt'pri...al~. Lt'\t'ragt'. !.O:" :\ngdt.... l'Ut off
<br />water to I.ake Diaz., a small n-'l"ft'ational lake in (hwn:<
<br />8
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<br />\'alll'y aftt'r rpsidt,nts filt'(i suit against the city. Dpnwr
<br />has offl'ft'(l Summit Count \. a nominal :i.oon <lCft. ft't'l
<br />of Willl'r pt.r Yt'ur in H'tuni for Summit's support of a
<br />f)enn'r projt'(..t that would tak" suhsl.mtiall.\" morl' than
<br />that from the n:~oion. In IXlth l'aSl'S. the carrot or hamnwr
<br />to loc'al arpali .....ali water ori/-.rinating in thost' areas.
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<br />Ii. Chnraclt.ri...tirs. "{)wt'ns Uin'r VaUt'y gt'Oh'Taphi.
<br />l'all\" is mort' of u \"l'\'ada \'alll'\' than onl' of California."
<br />wr~tt. IIt'nn' Oshornt' in Seienlifir :\mt'rican mort-' than
<br />70 yt'ars aKo. Similarly. \\'estern Colorado. gro/-,'Taphi.
<br />cally and pt.rhap!' polilieall.\" and ('ult urally as well. ma\"
<br />han' more in common ....ith Eastt'rn L'lah lhan the Front
<br />Hanw'.
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<br />7. TOhl'ni"m. TIlt' ()wpn..; \"all(',' was J..oinn !.akt,
<br />Crow[l'~'. but b. for all practieal purpo"t'~, de.....a[(>rl"d.
<br />\\"l'stt'rn Colorado .....as eornp('nsu(,pd with HUt'(li and
<br />(jrt't'tl \lountain and ma,' gl't a rl:'usonahll' faesimill' of
<br />:\I.urf', hut it appt'ar!' tii{pl~. that tutal compensatory
<br />storagt' will ~hrink in r"lation to tht, amount trans\"ertt'(.i.
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<br />!'\. HlllITH" A~rkulturt.. By lY~I", Los An~e1t's had
<br />:-;uekt.d OWl'ns Lakl'dry.'. ,\n l'n/..>1nt't.'r for L.A. \\'at~'r and
<br />POwt'r ~aid, howt'\t'f. that tht. ('it \. did not ehange thl'
<br />lakt,'s des tin\'o If not fur tht' eit\"." ht' said, tt)(' farnwrs
<br />would haw )'udmJ tht,lake dry tel irrigatt' nups, In Colo.
<br />rado. {'flt'S (In'r inCrt'ast't1 tranS\'l'rsions for cities han-
<br />bt-'en mt't with tht, issUl> sidt"slPPIX'r that agricultufl'
<br />takes SOI1W HO'i of thl' statt"s water and irrigation ",Hi-
<br />('it'neit's should 1)(' fo('u!'t'(! u!xm rathPr than rity
<br />trans\"t'rsions.
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<br />Y. l'niqut, (;(,o!ng.... Touri...m_ Tht. Ow!'ns \'allt,.\,
<br />touches or encompasses the highl'st and lowest points
<br />in thl' rontij..'\Jous .,J",. \lount \\'hitne.\" and nt.ath Vallpy
<br />\\'l's(('m Colorado rontains many ).1.000 foot fl':'aks, can.
<br />\"ons, dl'st,rt flat:- and \'alll'\"s. Both art' beautiful and
<br />~'ontain or adjoin many uni(IUt. gl'tlloj..';c fealun's. \Iin.
<br />ing and ranrhing art' nominal in thl' (hn.n!' \'allpy wht'rt'
<br />t tll' only industry to spt.'ak of is tourism. which hl'gan
<br />w.ith an org,mizt-d t,ffort in thl' 1f/.lOs. \\'('stern Colorado
<br />.....as t'('onomkally depn's:oot-d and ~t':IJ..'l1att'(1 in the early
<br />lY,~(}s when Cluh :m IlI.'~an tht, first organizt.'li tourism
<br />promotion in thl' rt'/-..;on'", history and now. tourism is
<br />om' of tht, rt'h.;on's lop industril's. BOlh Owens \'aUI:'Y
<br />and \\'t'slt'rn Colorado h;lw dewlopl-"ll ski art'as; hoth
<br />...,prn' as plaY/-,'Toumb for pt'tlplt. from an'as eXporting
<br />their Watt'r.
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