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Sun., Feb. 21, 1993 Rocky Mountain News Colorado losing water to downstream states NEVADA 'om 120 Grande to Albuquerque and EI Paso," Salazar said. Until more reservoirs are built on the Western Slope, all of Colo- rado's "unperfected" rights to Colorado River water - about 800,000 acre-feet a year - will flow to Nevada and California. Even with a reservoir at Roan Creek, it still will. But with a reservoir, water engineers can regulate and keep track of the flow. Already, California is using more of the water than it has rights to under the Colorado River Compact. Anticipating the day when ~pstream states will use more of their allotments, Califor- nia is weaning itself from that ex- tra water through aggressive con- servation and a new law that allows its fanners to sell water to cities. The oil~shale water, then, could be leased to Nevada - and, after running through the spillway of the new dam, could be stored be- hind Hoover Dam 40 miles upriver . from Las Vegas. The suggested price is $200 an acre-foot. Three-fourths of that will pay for construction and main- tenance of the dam. Fifty dollars per acre~foot will go to the state - to the general fund or to help work Ofl environmental problems or opportunities associated with the dam's construction, Colorado would get $8.5 million a year. The reservoir wouldn't flood scenic l<indscape but rather land too barren for cows, F'aulson says. The people of the area would get a recreation area for motor. boating and sailing. But the dam could control flows down the Colorado, and that's good for endangered fish that need steady flows part of the year and higher flows just before spawning, proponents say. "If we can regulate the flows, we can help with the recovery programs" for the endangered ra. zorback sucker, humpbacked chub, bonytailed chub and Colora- do squawfish, Paulson said. "It will get one; beneficial use in Colorado before it leaves the state." Dams ruined the Eden that was Colorado in the first place, say some environmentalists. But pro- ponents say primeval nature never was kind to C9lorado's fish - they often were washed away during spring snowmelt, and left high and dry by midsummer. . The flIst few dams may have made the problem worse, ,and the hydroelectric,dams churn up the fish that try to get through the turbines. But new, carefully regu- lated dams can do fish more good than harm, provided environmen. tal concerns get sufficient weight, say the oil-shale companies. And they will, Paulson said, be~ cause this proposal will live or die on public opinion and politics, not on property rights or law. "The farmers' best protector is the political process," Paulson said. It will be easy enough, to kill the project a dozen times if it's not politically acceptable to environ. mentalists, farmers or other water users. We won't sign unless Neva- da sees this' use as a ,Colorado use ' unqer the compact," which will ensure Colorado can get the water back. Fanners would get aSsurances they won't lose their water before the dam is built, Paulson added. "The little peach grower in Grand JW1ction won't have to go to water court and stand against the behe. moth oil companies. This is such a major change, the whole process isn't going to rely on duking it out inwatercourt." Cahill predicts the lease wouldn't make much difference in the operation of the river. Nevada's other options (or wa. ter range from $800 an acre.foot for the Alaska iceberg plan to a $2 billion plan to pipe water south from the aquifers of central Neva. da, , That makes the Colorado con- nection and its $200 an acre.foot. so attractive that Nevada will pus,h for making the supply permanent and abandon efforts to fmd penna- nent solutions, detractors said. Cahill said he'll ,give Colorado any and all assurances that the lease is temporary ~ "Sure, we'd like it to be perma- nent," said Cahill. '~But I'm assum. ing that's hot going'to happen, because the oil-shale industry is going to mature." Some, environmental activists don't oppose the water plan uncon. ditionally, even if the, water goes to Nevada pennanently. Better Nevada overdevelop than Colora- do, they say. The 175,000 acre. feet Nevada would use could meet the needs of. 700,000 extra people. 1:r . 121 r-'------ CUP&SAVE -------,_ , FREE PET TAGS \ : OWNER" ."" "'" " " ANNUAL VACCINATIONS I PHONE................ DOG $15.00 I IPET(S)................ CAT $9.00 I VET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEUTER $18.00 I I SPAY $33.00* t CALL PRO-PET NOW OECCAW'S $35.00 .,. , 989 1703 DENTISTRY $35.00 , . ,.CALL FOR DETAILS , L._______ cup AND SAVE _____'___.J 7 200fc \Jet Inlclcst 1< ,UlH rl on O lchluun In!JllongJclm . 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