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r bottom line Wins and losses for the River District in 1985 wefe e-xtreml:". in- tense and man\'. Some of the 'wins .....en> securinK a $10.2 million settlem('nt which will, with in\'('stmt'nl, build a storage proj(,cl in Weslprn Colo- rado and help securt' a $1.5 million water supply system for the De Beque area, both at no cost to Rivl'r District taxpayers. No less sweet, is the continuation of a mutuallv hpoeficial relation- ship with th~ Northern Colorado Water ConsNvane)' District. a rt'lationship nE'arinK its 50th year. The wins include thp contribu- tions of people lih St'nator William Armstrong and Congrt'ss- man Mike Stranj{. who helped pro- tect Weslern Colorado's water supply. Slalt'wide there arc reasons Western Colorado has won a few in tht, legislaturf'. eVt'n though it is outmanned 1O-to-1. Success can hf' attributf'd to a df'tt'rmint'd and unifif'd Wt>sh'rn Colorado delegation. Regardless of political affilia. tion or community, reRardless of whether thpir districts are entire- ly or partially on the western slope, thl'Y joined tORetht>r to work on its bt>halL Rural It>gislators in Eastern Colorado hav{' supported our rf'Rion bt'cause they undl'rstand our problpms: some urban legislators have demonstrated a statesmanlike concern for our rt.gion. The efforts of these legislators in 1985 did result in a fair shake for Western Colorado. Of the losses, one was tragic. Gene Ritschard, Grand County's representative to the River District board, had taken a keen, conscientious intt'rest in his responsibilities. He was chairman of the Rock Crt'ek Committet', a member of tht. AlOrt' Committee and the AlOft' and Gn.!?n ~1oun. tain negotiating tl'ams. Hl' was in- strumental in negotiations leading to the Azurl' settlement and was sf'rving slope water users l'X- tremel)' wl'l1, when he was struck down at mid.life with his wifl' in an auto accident. The losses included two retirements. Aftt'r 14 years, Gar- fit'ld County Director Georgt' Pf'trt' stepped down. ~1r. Petre, an attorney, de\'oted a great deal of expertist' to tht> River District while being guided by a stronK concern for tht' taxpayer's dollars. Hial Lake of Gunnison, cappt'd 16 vt'ars on tht' River District board by st.rving as its presidt'nt. Ht. fn't'ly gave timt' to the River District and as a result of his back/{l'ound as a newspaperman and college excutive, ht. offert.d a unillUt. dimf'nsion to the board. Othl'rwist" 1985 .....as also somethin~ of a mixed ba~. ThNt' wt'rt' mort' m('t'tings in more loca. tions: more negotiations aimt'd at grt'atN objt'ctives. An t'xpert on tht. retirement industry in 1985. told a group in the region that retiret's may turn from Florida because of a limiting water sup- ply, to places Iikt, Colorado. More Rivf'r District staff and equip- ment .....as used in an t'xpanded d- fort in the field, in the legislature and at tht> b3rgaining tablt' to protect and provide an expandpd watt>r supply for futun" Westt'rn Coloradans - limits to tbt' quali. t~. of lift' or economic gro.....th should not be set by the belated discovery of an inadequate water supply. For the efforts described herein, total cost to the River District taxpayer in 1985 was AH of a mill with a budget of S1.873...1.00. The figures ar(> up for 1986 to A65 of a mill with a budget of $2,011.900. That budget was do.....n from the controversial one originally adopted to fight the Ilt-nver Remand. lSee pagt. 61 By postponing tht' fight, tht' budget could be reduced. And, about 1985 plus 1984 and 1986, then' is this. The timt' is pivotal in Western Colorado's future water supply. There is a strong preservationist movement that is intert'sted in locking up mort' of the rt'gion's watt'r than has alrt'ady been lockt'd up. There is a strong transmountain .....ater diversion movement that is in. tt'restt'd in taking substantially more water east than is already being taken there. And, thl're is a fixed, limited amount of water reo maining to satisfy those interests and Western Colorado's. Recaust> of the push by those interests. the ditchf's .....iIl nl' dug, tht> dit's cast, in tbest' years. The nature of thl' water game is that you cannot makt' rest"rva. tions: your successors will not be abll' to neef up your .....ater legacy. Tht, pie will he cut up in these pivotal years, and the River District can USt' your support and assistance in making sure our followt'rs art' left with a rt'3sonable slict>. rJ~~ ROLA~D C. flSCHER Secretary.Engineer C )L()Ri\L .'o ~-. : /!~Tf::" CJ,!Sr~..\W' )IS~ "ICT PO Bo~ 1120 GlenwOOd Sprmgs. Cololado 81602 3031945-8522 BULl( RATE US POSTAGE PAID GlenwooojSpr ClJ816111 PERMIT NO 16