WSP03548 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. .- .;, o ~ '- I. , " I I , , The Daily Sentinel, April 20, 1981 Page 4 ~, ~ , . ~ :~ . "... W at! (J1~1d , " . i , , , , , ~ : Time' was, not so long ago, ; ,when backers of the proposed ~, Dominguez Project between l Whitewater and Delta had rea- l son to feel pessimistic about the !:.i,chances of congressional author- I' ization for the project. j: - After all, the Carter adminis- ~: tration not only was disinclined !: to support new water projects, it r spent much of its first two years .: dismantling projects that Con- gress had authorized years earlier. Interior Secretary James G. ., Watt, however, has repeatedly said that once economic condi- tions warrant it, the Reagan ad- ministration hopes to propose new water projects for congres- sional approval. Word now comes, via Sen. Wil- liam Armstrong's staff, that the " Dominguez Project has "at- tracted the personal interest" of Watt and is a possible candidate for congressional review as early as next year - in time for inclusion in the 1983 fiscal budget. David Jensen, a legislative as- sistant to Armstrong, says, "We're optimistic about Domin- guez' prospects. We ,hope that if it is not the top project. it will be right at the top." Dominguez is a logical enough project for priority review. Al- though it has attracted the requi- site amount of environmental opposition, it also enjoys enormous support throughout jJJ)' · 1[J). on1ulg~q,2Z JirO]8ct Delta and Mesa counties. The 26-mile-long reservoir's recreational features are self- evident. More importantly, Do- minguez would insure the Grand Valley's municipal and indus- trial water needs well into the 21st century while providing much needed hydroelectric power to an area whose energy needs are constantly increasing. While all those project fea- tures seem compelling enough, there is still no way to predict how Congress will respond when asked to authorize the $330 mil- lion project. Authorization al- most certainly would require a united Colorado congressional delegation as well as a strong en- dorsement from the governor's office. Nonetheless, Dominguez sup- porters have reason to feel opti- mistic. They likely realize that no other administration is more disposed toward giving them a sympathetic hearing than Reagan's. Not only do the president and Watt have an appreciation for the importance of Western water development, so too do officials like Bob Burford. the adminis- tration's nominee to head up the Bureau of Land Management. It's difficult to imagine a more favorable Washington climate for supporters of Western water development. That fact shouldn't be lost on Dominguez proponents. They should make the most of it. the . ~ :. .-.... I .. . ~. ,~