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<br />- <br /> <br />r- <br />UJ <br />,.... <br />..... <br /> <br />':~) <br /> <br />C~ <br /> <br /> <br />lh th the State of Colorado, the Bureau plans to develop H2ad and San Luis Lakes <br />into a recreation and wildlife area. Before San Luis Lake silted up and became <br />foul smelling and brackish in the late 1950's, it was a very popular recreation <br />area. The plans call for the delivery of enough water to stablize a higher <br />water level in the lakes. Kater will be periodically pumped through the system <br />so that the lakes will not stagnate. <br /> <br /> <br />There are other Project benefits which are not formally identified as purposes <br />justifying the Project. These "spin off" benefits are !'lOstly related to <br />requirements of Federal laws. Extensive studies of the Closed Basin's ecology, <br />archeology, and history have been done (see section III). These studies are <br />required to identify possible Project effects to these resources and to develop <br />mitigation plans. The results of these studies are available to the public. <br />Scientists and interested local residents can use this information to learn <br />about these unique and interesting aspects of the San Luis Valley. <br /> <br />Perhaps the most important of the "spin off" benefits are the engineering, ;;ater <br />table, and geological studies which are required for the Project to be designed <br />property. The results of these studies (section III) are also available to the <br />public. Radosevich and Rutz' report, ;;hich was cited at the beginning of the <br />section, concludes with some advice. The Valley's economic/water interest <br />groups are counciled to "negotiate with each other rather than hale each other <br />before courts of law. The purpose of such negotiation would be to develop a <br />Valley-wide system of water allocation which would be both fair and clearly <br />understood. No restraint on individual constitutional rights to seek redress <br />in the courts is intended. The point is, quite simply, that the Valley's <br />present course of defining a system of water rights piecemeal, individual court <br />case by court case, will have negative results. Defining the relationship of <br />Valley water rights to each other in the courts will re-sult in a huge body of <br />individual rulings and decrees. Some rulings will probably be contradictory. <br />Regardless of the outcome, legal fees will be enormous. ' <br /> <br />It will not be easy to negotiate a fair and legally binding system outside of <br />the courts. The work should be done by people whose vital economic interests <br />are directly involved. The information the' Rureau has collected should help. <br />No one can be expected to make a decision which may directly affect his liveli- <br />hood without some solid facts about what the results of that decision will be. <br />Information has been collected by the Project on how water tables are related, <br />what happens with different kinds of water-pumping operations, and on how those <br />things affect vegetation. These data should help individuals make informed <br />decisions. <br /> <br />In the long run, the information provided by the Project may be a greater bene- <br />fit than the water it is being built to salvage. The completed Project can be <br />logically viewed as a closely watched gage on the terminal end of the whole <br />northern Valley's ground water system. Like a measuring instrument, the Project <br />will not direc~ly affect the rest of the system. The Project's network of <br />observation wells will show whether or not the northern Valley's water supplies <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br />~ <br />