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<br />COLORADO RIVER WATER <br />CONSERVATION DISTRICT <br /> <br />The Colorado Hin'r \\'(I(I"r ('on"'N\"atln/l lJistrict wa... <br />cn',i1t't! b.... th.. ...taw le~ri"'];.llun' in W:l. to ",afej..,'lJard. con- <br />St'n'I' and put to tWlli'ficial use. watt'f within the Colorado <br />Hin'f Ba...in fOr thl' stall' of Colnrado - to l'n";Ufl' ;lth-quatt. <br />watt'r suppliC's for prt'''''nt and hHun' \\'l'sll'rn Coloradan.... <br />T~w Hin'r ()jslriCl's cfl'.ltion \\;1" a dlrt'('{ fl.sult of tht' <br />COllet'Tn of \h'stl'rn Colorado h.adt"f". who Wi,'fl' trying to <br />{'nsure:'ln ~dl'(lu<Jtl' watt'f supply for .thl' futll~l. /-,'Tnwth of <br />tht' rt"f,.'10n In t 1;' fan- of a powerful ".a"tNn ( olorado fae. <br />lion di\'l'rting wakr across thl' mountains for U"l' in that <br />arf'a. So j..,'Tl'al Wefe \\"l'slt'rn \f)[Of.IJO'", nat ural f(',,()Urn's, <br />induding Watt'f. and so small its infim'nn'. that ;J \\"t'stt-rn <br />Colorado I'rot4't.ti\., ,\ssn. was fOrln.'t1 as a fon'runm'r to <br />tht> Hin>r I>istriel. <br />Forged Coalitions <br />Earl\ da\' h',nlt'rs who forgt<{! sm't'l".;"ful coalitions and <br />piollt't'rt"l! 'watN law and \\"estt'rn Colorado d,'f,'nsl' <br />mt-'t.'hanisms such as t h.. ('(llll'l'pt of t'ompt'nsatory stllragt' <br />ilH_'lude Edward T. Ta\'lor. Frank !J"lan...\.. Silmon Smith. <br />\\'aym' Aspinall. Frailk \h'rril'lI and D.'\\' :\u{1J){'r!t'. <br />Toda~'. till-' Hin>r LJistricl indu{lt.s ]2 t'ounti.'s and part <br />of thn'f' oth.'rs. houndt<{! bv thl' L'tah and \\"\'oming statl' <br />lim's, tlU' ('omint'ntal Dividt, and tht' San .Juan \lounlain". <br />Thl;' tax-supportt"ll. qU(lsi-nmnieipal Hin'r Distrin is <br />g"m'l'rnt.J by a hoard of I;), ".It'h ;.IJlpninh..d hy lill' board <br />of count\' commissionl'rs of thl' counlit's comprising tilt' <br />District ~ rpg:ardll'ss of popul:Jtion. as~'s"''tl \'a]uation or <br />any otht'r factor, t'ach eOllnty has an t'qual volt.. Chipf ad. <br />ministratin' olfit','r is Bo]and C Fi~'hl'r. !<l'lTdary..'nJ_.'im't'r <br />Tilt' Rivt'r District as a rt'J-.r1on has "X{"I'I,dl"lj ~;I billion <br />in annual rNail sall,s in [('t....nt \'l'ars. Ilwasllf('tl n,'ar .0;;2.9 <br />billion in 19x3 asst'sst'{! \'a!uaticlJl and has a population of <br />approximah_']Y ~1.'"d)OO. Tht' Di~trit.t t'nCOm!KI.'l'i('!< iJ dinT"t' <br />agricultura] industry. s.'n'ml of lht' l1ation'~ finesl !<ki <br />arl'as. mon' than .W bilJion tons of bigh Ijllalit.\" l'om <br />dt'fKISits, 1"':0 billion barrd~ of ~hal.. oil n't'o\,prabll;' b.\' cur- <br />rr'nt ll'I,:hnoloJ0' plus substantial dt.posits of oil. gas. <br />uranium '-lnd otb,'r ha~. and prt'l'ious O1I'ta]s. \lint'fal <br />l'xtraction in tht, Hht'r Distril.t 11ftI'll rt'iH'ht'~ a !t.\.l'I of <br />~'\'{"raJ hundn't! million dollars I>l'r Yl'ar. TI1l' 1 )istrict <br />indudl':-' 28 pt'rct'lIl of till' bnd lll;l"S of tht' sliltt' of <br />Colorado or ahout 29.000 square milt's. <br />Poliev 011 Four Ril'ers <br />It O\',ns right~ to 'and is im-oln'l! in poli,'.\' on lht, Yampa. <br />\\'hil('. (iunnison and main st('m Colorado rin'rs :-;inn' it!< <br />inn'ption nl'arly .'l0 yt'ars ago. till' Hiwr Distrit,t has bft'n <br />guidl'C! hy tht, goal (If making Sllrp that ....att.r supp[~ ill <br />lht' future dOt's not bl'{'ol11P a limiting factor to lhm.t' l'om- <br />munitil'S Sft'king ).,'T.'att'r l:'I:onlllnic dl'\-l.lopmt'nt. an <br />impron.J quality of lift.. or Ixllh. TIJ\\ard that end. tht' <br />Dislrict has l'onsi!<tt'l1lly carri"d on t Ill' long, arduous and <br />often expt-'1lsin' task of filing on. showing diligl'I1l'e on ;md <br />deft'niling pOh'ntial water projl"C:ts !<iLUiltt'l.110 "t'l"'\l' pt'l.pl,' <br />in the Distri,'t. <br />Projt'Ct~ built upon Kln'r llistnt't d,'(,J"t,." in thl' pa....t and <br />the coumit'... in which thl'\' ilrt' lp('atl't! indudl': (;om.,' <br />Past un' T~ - :-;ummit: ffut'{fj - Eag],' and Pitkin: Silt <br />- Garfidd: Dallas - Ouray: Ya01colo - Hoult: and tht. <br />Aspinall Unil - (,unni..;on <br />In addition. a sub-di..trict of tht. Hi"'r Di:-;tril't ll..ing a <br />Hin;'r District dt,t'rt'l'. nn.ntl\ huilt lhl' Ta\'lnr l>r<1\\ H.......r- <br /> <br />\'oir Ill';lr Hangl.ly ",-riving th:Jt t'ast.'rn Hio Hlaneo County <br />('''llllllUnit.\. thl' fir!<t dl'p.-ndah]t, ....atN supply LIl its history. <br /> <br />]()() Decrees <br />Currt'lll!\'. thl' Hl\t'r Distriel is working on SUITW 20 dif. <br />fl'n'nt proJt't'L" throughout thl' lJistrirt {Ont'ompassing <br />ilpprlJximatt'h- 100 watt..r dt't:n'l'~. \\'Ill'n t'onstru('tt'{l. son1l' <br />(If thOSl' projl'l.:t.... ....-i1] pro\'idl' suh...tantial rpt'n'utional and <br />power gl'Ill'ration Iwndits in addition to domestic. <br /><lj..'TirullUral and industrial watN supplies. During tht, <br />drought \'1-"'<11' of 1977. tb., HiH'r I listrit.t mil(h, SlImp dt'<:t"t--"es <br />avaihhlt: lo ll111nicipalitil's and !<1'Mxial districts. that in turn. <br />o,'\-,']op..'tl proj,,,-.ts pnwiding drought rdid. <br />C(Jn\'t'r~(.h-, tIll' I{i\'er District monitors massin' water <br />filings mad..: b\. major dl'n']upers to S('I-' lO it that Hiner <br />District and uthl'r d",'j"",s an' not d<lIlHlb'P(-J hy such filings. <br />In lhi:-; aJ"l-'na and St'\-t'r<lJ ntht'r~. lht, Hin'r Distriet works <br />dos...l\' with t'olllmunitit's, ("(lns.'rnHl('\' districts, count it's. <br />th.. m'ining industry, agricwtural int('n~sts. the ski industry <br />and lllany otllt'rs. COoI){'rati\'l' prOb'Tams to aid in <br />.'nhancing wall'r sllpplit's art' not unusual. <br />] n ft'n'm \'eilrs. tl1l'H' has fll't'll an an'rage m'M 100 bills <br />fl,btt"ll to \i:at..r introdul't'l:1 annuall\" into tht' Colorado <br />(;erll'ral ,\s"l:'mhh'. Thl' Hiv"r Distril:t roulin;>]\" monitors <br />sUl'h prol'M)sals (lfft'ring ...UP('Mlrt or (lPIMlsilion in 'somp C'i.l...<;es <br />dt,!lt'lHling on tht. dfp...t IIf l'adl nn \\'.'stNn Colorado's <br />watt'r ..upp]y. <br />fh'('au~I' th.., \\".'st holds lllany prt'Cious rpsources, and <br />w;JtI'r a....t]w lif,'bllMMI. i~ th,' mo<;( pn'{'ious of all. thl' Hiver <br />District's <lcli\'i,il's .lTe widt"r;mbr1n~ and includt' slream- <br />flow guuh-ring, watN qualit.\" s;unpling, sl'h(M)1 l'{lucalion pnr <br />b'T<lms and monitllring and partit-ipuling in e\"l'nls and legal <br />t'a~..s in tht' basin and nation dpt'mt-c:l to afft'{,t tht, area's <br />watt'r !<uppl.\'. <br /> <br />East- West Balance <br /> <br />Tht' Hin'r I)i~trict, all anin' partidpant in Sl'H'ral state- <br />wid.. wat('r org-:Ulizmion~ and ...ffurls. maintains a judicious <br />halann' with rt'gard to th,. historit' t'<lst'Wt'st antagonisms <br />o\"l'r Watt'r in Colorado. During IY1"-I. as an t'xample. the <br />Hin'r Uistrit-t was opposing tht' ()~'O\'er \\"ah'r Board in <br />tht' Colorado SUprt'lllt. Court on'r mas!<in' filings by <br />l>t.O\w on both sid.'~ of thl' (;on' HaJ1).,'I.~. TIlt' Hiwr District <br />was stHTt's"ful in the IOWl'r court: Dl'n\'!'r appt.a1l'd. Simu]. <br />tanl'l:lusl...-. th.. Hiwr Di....trict and D,'nn'r w,'n' Ilt'l;otiating <br />O\'t'r th,. possibility of joint U"l' rlo'st'r\'oirs, a baJanCt-.d <br />appro<ll'h to <ll'l'ommodation of wall'r llSt'rs on both sidl's <br />(If thl' st;Ht'. <br /> <br />Thp art'a of th,' Hin-r Distrkt is an arid and st'mi arid <br />n'ginn w hpn' wah'r mu~t tK' captured ,md ston't:! in reSt'r- <br />\'oirs during n flO..da.\' run-off pt'ri(M! t'(lt'h sprmg for uSt' thl' <br />\"I.'ar around_ It is an arpa in whieb morp tban half of the <br />i~'at,,-'r nri).,r1n<lting in tht, state of Colorado. in which mon.' <br />than half of thl' \\;\t.:'r I1W:!Sllfl'fl at lot't' Fl.rry, tfL., di\'iding <br />point tll.'t Wl'l'n t 111' uppI'r and lo\"l'r basins. ori}.dn.llt's in or <br />flows through. ..\nd, it i.... an an.a Lwing thl' thirst...: of POWl'f- <br />ful intNt'sls from D.'tl\l'r on thl' l'ast to California and <br />Arizollll on tht' "t'St. <br /> <br />{ <br /> <br />-""" ..--,") " <br />-., <br />'---__l'-. ' <br /> <br />::; RIVER \V\ER <br />:::.: ',JStW\TIO'J DISTRICT <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />Gd '..\00: SPR,',;:;S (0,,-0"-'00 <br />....,~,,;. It. ":O"'6Q; <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />1984 <br />