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<br />a major court victory, the Denvl'r
<br />Rt'mand cast'. lDt'scribt'd fully in
<br />"Legal" section.! :\eRotiations
<br />agreed to on tht, Denver Remand,
<br />besidt's puttinR off major costs,
<br />tend to cn'at(' a more conducive
<br />nt'gotiating atmospht''t!;,.
<br />Significanlly, as metropolitan
<br />area interests conc('ntrated on
<br />solvinR short lli'rm net'ds. tht'
<br />River District board bel{an con.
<br />sidt'ring a cooperative program:
<br />leasing of watl-r. The approach,
<br />revolutionary wht.n compared
<br />with historical baules, was spur.
<br />red by tht' board's conCt'rn for
<br />future \\'estern Colorado watN
<br />Users. Tht' position: if leasing
<br />unused waler now can financl'
<br />Western Colorado projects that
<br />will fill needs in the (uture, such
<br />should at least bt, considt'rt'd.
<br />At the dost, o( 1985, as Den.
<br />\'er's dt'cision loomt'd on massive
<br />Two Forks Rt'servoir or a smaller
<br />project, lht' Wt'st slopt, position
<br />called for a larKe conservation ef-
<br />fort in the Dt'nver metropolilan
<br />art'll; a small Eastl'rn Colorado
<br />storal{e project: future ground
<br />water development for tht,
<br />mt'tropolitan area: protection of
<br />\\'t'stt'rn Colorado from a compact
<br />call and resolution of Denver's
<br />massive claims on the Colorado
<br />and Eagle rivers.
<br />While Dt'nnr studied its op-
<br />tions and D('nver homebuildf'rs
<br />considered a statewide funding
<br />mechanism lo build Two Forks
<br />Reservoir, thp River District con.
<br />linut'd to sl'ek mitigation with
<br />lransversion, sharin!( of injury
<br />with sharing of water, and
<br />prepared to Slt.p up those efforts
<br />in 1986.
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<br />''''''''' ,'>:~ '\111 ',.: '93; ,~.' ''r'.; ,~; ,~:; ,~
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<br />Legal issues,
<br />with the emphasis
<br />on protection
<br />
<br />/
<br />
<br />Lega]]~', 1985 was like otht'r
<br />years, but quite diffl'renl.
<br />Substantial filings .....ere made in
<br />support of decrees for futurt.
<br />Westt'rn Colorado projects, and
<br />tht' activities of major dev{'lopl-rs
<br />were monitored in the courts to
<br />ensure adequate augmentation or
<br />protection for other water uSl'rs.
<br />Thl're, the similarity ('nds. What
<br />Sl't 1985 aparl from oth('r Yl'ars,
<br />.....as the magnitude of tht' {){'nver
<br />Remand case. and thl' diversity of
<br />tht' fl'deral rl'sen't'd righls
<br />morass.
<br />At every turn lhrough the past
<br />severa] )"I'ars, the Rin'r District
<br />has fought the massive DenH'r
<br />claims 10 bt'lween 250,000 and
<br />300,000 acr{'.ft.t,t of wah'r on bolh
<br />sides of the Gore Rangl' in Eagl{'
<br />and Summit counties. The watl'r
<br />amounts to about half again mott'
<br />than all of the water pr{,st'nlly
<br />transvertt'd from WeslNn Colo,
<br />rado: impacts on thl' Wt'stNn Co-
<br />lorado ('nvironment, {'conomy and
<br />all slope wat!:'r users would be
<br />enormous. In 1985, the Colorado
<br />Supreme Court made sP\'eral rul.
<br />ings whi!t, remanding tht, case to
<br />a lower court. The court threw
<br />out Dt'nvt'r's East Gore claims to
<br />approximately 50,000 a<'t{'-feel.
<br />Balance of thl" Dl'nv('r claims
<br />w('re for datl's of 1957, 1965 and
<br />Inl - thl' court rult'd lhat
<br />Denver had to demonstratt' that a
<br />specific nl't'd exist I'd at thosl'
<br />timl's for tht, particular quantitil's
<br />c1aiml'd.
<br />Thl' decision was a victory,
<br />somt'.....hat biltersw{'et, for thf'
<br />River District. Thl' cases involve
<br />
<br />6
<br />
<br />the water ri!("hts and demands of
<br />125 s{'parate water districts and
<br />municipalities in the Denver area.
<br />It would be a monumental undl'r-
<br />taking in legal and engineering
<br />expertise and expense for Denver
<br />to prOVe the specific nl'eds, dales
<br />and quantitit's of the claims. The
<br />burden .....ould be just as greal for
<br />tht, River District to disprove
<br />those claims. River District cost
<br />estimates for the 18 months of
<br />prt'paration, for the six to eight
<br />week trial range from $600,000 to
<br />$700,000 (or t ht' additional legal
<br />and {'ngineering expertise. Un.
<br />qUt'stionably. the quantity of
<br />......ater involn'd is far mort'
<br />valuabll' than the estimated cost,
<br />but the cost comes at a difficult
<br />time in Western Colorado's
<br />('conom:-'. After some nl'goliations,
<br />Denvl'r and tht' River District
<br />a!{reed lo delay thl' lrial and
<br />preparation and related expenses.
<br />Tht, point of federal rl'served
<br />ri!{hts is that when the fedt'ral
<br />government wilhdrf"w lands many
<br />Yl'ars a!{o for difft'rent purposes,
<br />sufficient water for those pur.
<br />poses .....as also presumt'd to have
<br />been .....ithdrawn. ~1assivt' fedt'ral
<br />land holdings in Western Colo-
<br />rado and the relatively early
<br />dates they were .....ithdrawn SUR.
<br />gest a pott'ntial. major impact.
<br />Only rt'served rights and the l'n.
<br />dan!(ered specit,s issul' threaten
<br />senior decret' holders, long timl'
<br />wat('r users, in addition to tuturl'
<br />USt'rs. :-\tJm{' two decades ago, tht'
<br />Riv{'f" District fill'd suit against
<br />tht, !l'deral government and was
<br />succl'ssful in forcing adjudication
<br />and quantification of fedt'ral
<br />rights lhrouKh state courts. In re-
<br />cent 'years. the federal !("overment
<br />has softened its position, oftl'n
<br />adoptinR Rivt'r District
<br />arguments. Agrt'ement that will
<br />not injure senior water users has
<br />bl't"n reachl'd in many cases. In
<br />turn, the RiH'r Distri('t has
<br />(,oopt'rated ......ith the f{'deral
<br />governml'nt, as an example, to
<br />mak{' sure ......ater rights art' ade.
<br />quatl' for use of the forests by
<br />tourists and We-stern Coloradans.
<br />:'\ow, after some 20 years of I'Hort
<br />followl'd by accord. the Sierra
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