<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.
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<br />::; RIVER \V\ER
<br />:::.: ',JStW\TIO'J DISTRICT
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<br />Gd '..\00: SPR,',;:;S (0,,-0"-'00
<br />....,~,,;. It. ":O"'6Q;
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<br />1984
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