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<br />MOnday,De<::emb&t28,1992 <br /> <br />002'; JS <br /> <br />TilE DENVER POST <br /> <br />f./;R.M.S"I'EN(U <br />- <br />Ull;(,Il(;lIH~ <br />_nl...,_".. <br />-""~l~A.u1l <br />-- <br /> <br />II'IlJJA:II !)M~ SlMiUITlI.S. (lgjm.... <br />OO~_\l.Ilf.IIl'~,'~ <br /> <br />~t.NlItIHII8P.N <br />~......"'-Jmtonda-mM......- <br />Kl(lIAKIlU(:ot!S <br />_V.../'moiI.-J;&ml'.........IIIoI19,_ <br />KllUl__IONAlD,l-1'....-...fR\</KDlXrn;,VP~ <br />1'Ill1'ZA.''DP.II..'W<.VPflI>ww STrl1l~VI'~", <br />JAIft:lillAN"lWI,I'PhI_..... lU:~('.L/!llI'N.l.I'...~~ <br /> <br />nJA.UlllIIOkNIIIl' <br />.'1<0...~ <br /> <br />Rethinking Animas-La Plata <br /> <br />IN A MOVE tD eJld tbe growing <br />impasse Dver the Animas-I,a <br />Plata wat..r prtlJe<'l, tnvironmen. <br />taJi~ts havehirod a vet...ran Colora. <br />do Wiler official to explore le"ll <br />C'OSlIy and dl'stru('t1ve ml'lMof <br />achil'vingthe$llml'ends_indud. <br />ingsmalJdamsil!lel'eSllary, <br />Tltismu.lbetl'gardf'dlsahJgh_ <br />ly po.illve development, b<<'ause <br />crilics of tile conlroversial plan <br />hive so far fO('u!lt'd mainly on stop- <br />pinll" it, ratl1er than suggestinll" ('f),.. <br />Crf'le alternalivt>B, as was dmle <br />wilb notable SIWre98 in tlwdehale <br />over Oenvl'r's nuw.di!l('arded Two <br />l'orhDam. <br />Thesell"l:h forwotkabl..opiiom <br />will be conducted by longtime <br />State EnglJl('f!r J..ris Danielson. an <br />inrlf'pendffil but wtll-r....peC't.-d of- <br />ficial who was !lacked by Gov, Roy <br />Romer earlier Ihis year in a dis. <br />puleoVerfutllre wal..rpolicy. <br />Daniel!lOll was Telain<'d as II con- <br />.ullant last month by the Sil'rra <br />Club ugal Defense ~'und. which <br />has cllall..nged AnifTl1ls-La Plata as <br />environmentally damagihg ~nd <br />e<'CIllOmieallyunjullllried, <br />The pJ"{)j~t, whieh ha~ bt>en On <br />tile drawing board ror 25 years, <br />would !latis/y lOngstanding Indian <br />water clJlims. irrigate 125 square <br />miles of farmland and provide <br />drinking water for Durango and <br />otller dU"ll in Ille area, <br />A~ now propos'-'<!, it ,"ould di~..rl <br />waler out of the Animas Riverju.l <br />3<J\lthof Durango, pump it SOli feet <br />uphill inlo a re8€'tvoir above tile La <br />PiaU. River a'sin, and di~lribule il <br />tbrough a 240-mile network of <br />piJl'-'Unt'S and ('anals, <br />The maSlllve undertaking would <br /> <br />cosl the t:upayers an !'StimMed <br />'640mIlIi0ll,OrlllmO!ltasmu('hll' <br />Two ~'lIrk~. <br />Among IIlher thing., DanielMn <br />haHoo"na.kl'dlolonkattheseal. <br />I"rnativel: <br />... Providing addihonal wall'r w <br />the L"te Mountain Uterellf>rvaUon <br />by.iphoning morl' out of tllt' Il<>- <br />lor<'llpro)1'l"toorthofCortez_ <br />"'Supplying new water to the <br />Soulhern Ute Irlhe, and increasing <br />opportuniliM for fi.hinrand boat. <br />ing ItS \\'1'11, by building a small <br />dam on lm-MallCO!l River or a trib- <br />utary east of Mf'Sa Verde. <br />"'~;JpandinrtbeamountDurall-- <br />gorff'f'ivl':'lfromtheeJti>llingFlori_ <br />dapro}eel,perhaP/lbY('f)ll!ltrl/('ting <br />a larger pipeline. <br />Combin<'d with proveneon...../Va. <br />lion strat..g;l'lI such as IininKlrriga. <br />lion dlteht>B with concrete, it ill <br />hopl'd Ihatsuchoptionsmight~'leld <br />llS much water as Animall-La Plaia <br />"ithoutdeplt>lingtheriversllO <br />mU<'h thalil wouldjeopar<Jil.een. <br />dangerd fish or undl'rmine ihe <br />raftingindu:rtry. <br />Admittedly, tltis is a P""'t). taU <br />ordt>r, But In vi",... of the llhado.. <br />Ihat Amendml'nll haseasl over <br />thestite's ahility to help linince <br />Ihe project, and the pollution con. <br />('I'm.. outlined by the ~~nvirn-nmen. <br />tal ProJI'Ct Agency earlier this <br />month, a s('riQUS re.evatulIUon Is <br />dearly well-advisM. <br />The proponents of Animu.{,a <br />l'lata, including the U.s. Hureauot <br />Redamalinn, Nhould ..eienme tbiN <br />chance lOreaS>less the pro'JI'-'ctN <br />forat'Compli:wnglh,'irgoalsina <br />It'S!;tradiliQnal but mnreafford- <br />alllemanner. <br />