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:\ .,' ..-..'", :-.S;: :,'fi '.:: .~ C? ',:;) {"... --I c:) ;:::) HIGH STAKES San Luis Valley irrigators say AWDI's proposed water pipeline would take agriculture down the tube. By Sally Schuff A San Luis Valley water court tri- al set for October 1991 promises to be a doozy. At stake is the whole future of the Valley's irrigated agriculture, say farm- ers, Last year, they produced $220.7 million worth of crops-mainly pota- toes and barley under irrigation. Now, they fear a water grab-without water their fields would revert to desert. American Water Development, Inc. (A WDI) of Denver says it just isn't so. The company argues that its massive plan to export water to thirsty cities on Colorado's Front Range and to develop irrigation on its Baca Ranch will not IrrIgation water allowed San Luis Valley farmers to produce 5220.7 million in crops-much of It from potatoes such as these. harm the Valley. "What we're propos- ing...is not converting agricultural water," says AWDI President Dale Schaffer. "It is developing water that to- day is not fully utilized ...(it) does not in any way shape or form, as we have put into our application, impact the ex- isting agricultural use of that water." Besides, A WDI's newly-amended water rights application now allows that if there is an impact to irrigation wells or the Valley's federal Closed Basin Project, A WDI will make it right, says Schaffer. The Valley doesn't want to chance it. "The people of the San Luis Valley would just as soon that they (A WDI) would take their money and go home," says Bob Robins, president of the Cone- jos Water Conservancy District. Irrigators say their artesian-pressured water system is already stressed to the max-almost the breaking point. With 1,800 center pivot sprinklers and addi- tional surface water irrigation from the Rio Grande and Conejos rivers, the Val- ley is thought to be among the most in- tensively used-and complicated-water works in the world. No new groundwater rights have been granted for several years. Now it's tough to even get full use of existing water rights. "We've probably over. appropriated water," says Steve Van- diver, the state water engineer for Divi- sion 3 in A1amosa. "There are no new well permits being granted in any aquif- er in the San Luis Valley and there haven't been for ten years now-IO to 20 (years)," he reports. V alley farmers and business folks are up in arms about A WDI's Baca project. Most city and county governments have voted to fight A WDI in court along with the ditch companies and the water con- servation districts. The State of Colora- do and the United States of Ameriea have joined the legal battle as opponents Sally Schuff PhotD 8 Colorado Ran,hcr & Farmc1' _.'. ,.P"