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<br />. <br />" <br /> <br />... .~.......:.. .'............. . . . . . . . - ,." . <br />. :: .:.:.:~:~:: ::;:::::;::::::::::::::::::::::~:~::::::::::::::::::::: ;:; :;.' :.::;;:.: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />_l.~;,;~;;~;:~;;:::;:;:;:::~:~::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;::: <br /> <br />........."..... <br />'",....,,,,,,, <br />."....... <br />'. , <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />.""..... <br /> <br />~~9n. 15. 1986:'Tlle"'Fn.iiiiThhes s'j' <br /> <br />co <br />CT:l <br />ClD <br />C\I <br />c, <br />C <br /> <br />Farmers wary of federal control <br />Continued from the front page <br /> <br />This act authorized and directed the GVI, told The Times. .....there would <br />Secretaryoflnteriortoimplementa be no change in water rights wha- <br />program of works for enhancement tever," Only ditch ownership would <br />and protection of the quality of Colo- be involved. he said. <br />rado River water for use in the U.S. However. the question ra"ised by <br />and Mexico and toenablethe U.S. to Fry and others is what happens <br />comply with its treaty obligations when the water distribution is <br />with Mexico. under direct government control? If <br />Closer home. the "Grand Valley the water was cut off. rights to the <br />Unit" was one of the works autho~ water itself could be lost since the <br />rized under the act. This aimed at historicthemeofwaterlawhasbeen <br />reducin~ saline runoff from irri- "use it or lose it." <br />~ated lands in the valley into the This is why they are fighting <br />Colorado River by means of linin~ against the government takeover of <br />sections of main canals and enclos- the irrigation system. especially <br />in~ the lateral ditches in pipes. their own laterals. This and the fact <br />. The intent and purpose thus far that many do not trust the govern- <br />may seem above reproach. but. a ment to keep its promises. <br />major boneofcontention wasdugup Essentially. said Fry. they just <br />with that word "pipes.... Many of the want Uncle Sam to keep hands off <br />lateral ditches in the valley have the laterals they now own and have <br />already been lined with concrete at improved. The feds c&n line the <br />considerable expense ';.by their existin~ dirt ditches and reimburse <br />owners. and some of ttieSe owners their owners 100 percent of the cost. <br />see no need to'redo these laterals. Fry s~id. "but leave the .rest of us <br />just to comply with what they con- alone. . . '~""'_._. i . <br />sider bureaucratic meddling. :\.... Most of the laterals are already <br />. One such owner is Marcus Fry. enclosed in pipe or lined with con. <br />who farms a Quarter section on J crete. accordinjr to Fry. An infor- <br />Road east of Fruita. On that farm he mal check by The Times of laterals <br />- has already enclosed more than a extendinjt from the Grand Valley <br />.':':~' ~i1e of irriJtation laterals in pipe Mainline Cannl between IS Road <br />,::,-<' and nearly two miles with concrete and 23 Road showed 19 in pipeline. <br />. lininJt. He spent about $50.0000f his 17 concrete.lined_ and 12 dirt <br />__:-:.::;:o~., own money to do this and he objects ditches. The dirt ditches are mostly <br />.,-;.;:;..to an attempt by the government to short. extending butalittlewayinto <br />: take over ownership,'.of these: a fjeld or garden. '.If_'.-_.~,- \.~ ...., <br />~:':..-~.~laterals~.'--..... J.t-.,..::.,,-,,-~\ -:.~--~...,.,:o: ':,The main objection farmers such <br />.., :i ,- He is not alone. ,0 ...... . ~ as Fry have to the project is not con- <br />..~:~.... ~\ At the annual meetinp: of the cerned with the proposed work on <br />Grand Valley IrriJ(ation Co. in the main canal ilc;elf. Part of this <br />December. an attempt was made to canal has only dirt banks now and <br />.. pass an amendment to the bylaws the part that is lined with Gunite{a <br />''- allowing the company "to enter into sort of concrete-asphalt mixture) is <br />contracts or a~eements with the showing deterioration of its lininit'. <br />Secretary of the Interior ... for the . The project calls for relining the <br />acquisition of the ownership. con- canal '.with "membrane." a heavy <br />struction of salinity control systems' plastic sheet which would be <br />and long-term operation and main- covered with a foot or more or dirt <br />tenance of the lateral canals and and rocks. Fry can see some prob. <br />ditches takinR" their water [rom the lems with this too but his main con- <br />system of canals now own-~d and cern along with other farmers is the <br />operated by the Grand Vall@y Irri- laterals. especially those that are <br />~ation Company for the purpose of .now on their own property. <br />implementing the Colorado River Why would the government want <br />Basin Salinity Control Act...... \. ~ to take over ownership of these lat- <br />The key words found objectiona- . erals and how would it have the <br />ble in this proposed amendment power to do it? <br />were "acquisition of the owner- . First. according to Bertrand. the <br />ship...of the lateral canals and purposeofacquiringownershipand <br />ditches..... -soobjection.able if"! fact control is to develop a unified sys- <br />, that themembel'"S'htprefnsed toplIS$"' tern. especially importa'lIt for future' <br />the amendment and managed to ge~ maintenance and repair. _ <br />it tabled, -~, .~: ~_ <. . 0 Bertrand's assessment goes along <br />"We're not opposed to the project," with the views expressed. in a paper <br />. said Fry. "Widust don't \Va"rinflem_-- krlown'as"theWaldeck-report."pre-' <br />taking over our ditches," First there pared for the Colorado Water Con- <br />is this objection to federal owner- servation Board in_ 1985 by the <br />ship and control of the laterals Grand Junction law firm of Duf- <br />(ditches) which proud landowners ford. Waldeck. Ruland and MiI- <br />see as an infrin~ement on their burn. This law firm contracted with <br />- rights. But Fry fears a much more the state to supply a report concern~ <br />serious takeover may lurk in the in~ formal organizations into which <br />offing. "I'm afraid they're really irrigation laterals in the Grand Val~ <br />after our water rights." he said. ley area could be organized. <br />As it is now. these rights are not The need for such organizations <br />involved in the efforts proposed by had been expressed in the Salinity <br />the irriJtation company. Phil Ber- <br />trand. assistant superintendent for <br /> <br />Continued on page 12.. <br /> <br />Burenheide completes AF training <br /> <br /> <br />Airman Elaine I. Burenheide. <br />daughter of Orner J. and Phyllis E. <br />Burenheide of 1130 Road 18M!. <br />Fruita. has completed Air Force <br />basic training at Lackland AFB. _ <br />Texas. . " <br />The airman._who is remaining at - . <br />Lackland for specialized training in <br />the security police field. studied the <br />Air Force mission, organization and . -'_ ~ <br />customs and received special- _.' 0 . f, <br />instruction in human relations. -.!:':T.--.,,' ;, <br />Completion of. this training :_:-..~ <br />earned the individual credits ",. <br />toward an associate degree in app~ . <br />lied science through the Community <br />College of the Air Force. '.' .:("- <br />She is a 1982 graduate of Fruita: . <br />Monument High School. : ,".~ ,-' <br />:'0:;" .. <br /> <br />Monument visitations near record <br /> <br />Visitation at. the Colorado <br />National Monument"in 1985 was the <br />second hi~hest ever recorded. <br />according to a report from Rick <br />Doran. park ranger. <br />Total visitations- in 1985 were <br />810.6:13. topped only by the 849.l8:l <br />visits recorded in 19M2. Doran said. <br />The 19Sfj fiJnlrc was 2.5 percent <br />hhrher than the total for HlM4. and <br />campJrround occupancy (or 1985 <br />wa.'Io up 1-1.9 percent over the 1984 <br />total. accordinR' to the report. <br />Visits to the Monument in <br />December totaled 50.451. with <br /> <br />..~, - <br />13.170 of these beinJt recreational. <br />Visitor hours in December totaled <br />48.311 of which 29.670 were <br />recreational. _ <br />Re~dstered climbers totaled two <br />in December and 32 in 1985. ReJtis- <br />tered hikers numbered 155 in <br />December. 6.697 Cor the year. There <br />were 42 cross-country skiers in <br />December. 249 during 1985. <br />Camp~rounds had 48 overnight <br />stays durinJt December. and a total <br />of l-b.471 for the year. One bus entry _,'.. <br />was recorded in December for a <br />total of 191 durinfl" 1985. .'- <br /> <br />_'0'" <br />-,--- <br /> <br />~ Custom design your Storage <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />-. <br />- <br /> <br />- <br /> <br /> <br />-k , <br />w W <br />Q W <br />.. w. <br /> <br /> <br />w <br /> <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />.- <br /> <br />w <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />c2-.~ <br /> <br />:-':,.- <br /> <br />.:. ~ <br /> <br />. ~- <br /> <br />---":"- <br /> <br />:':-', <br /> <br />CORNER <br /> <br />Fruita Pro Hardware <br />127 E. Aspen & SportinQ Goods <br />