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<br />., Attorney General warns against another Valley water war <br /> <br />By SYLVIA LOBATO IIO,OOO-acr. ranch in the southern Colorado <br />ALAMOSA - Atlorney General Ken valley. He sajd he wnnts to sell at least 100,000 : <br />Salazar Tuesday said he will use all his re- acre feet of:IWilter to cities along the Fron.~. I} <br />sources to prevent e~por1 of wnterfrom the San Rangc, jncl~djng some' Denyer suburbs. One <br />Luis Valley. acre fOOl, enbugh water to cQ'r'er an acre with l <br />SalOLar said he wan led to I:t businessm~n water I fool<leep,cansupplyafamilyoffourfo~; <br />and rancher Gary Boyce know.fhe trIeSlosh.p a year. ; . .. I <br />waler out of the valley. the SlUte will oppose However. Boyce must go to cOurt to secure; <br />him: Ihe water rights before he can go forward with <br />"He can expect we're going to fight his plans. which call for selling 150,000 acre <br />Stockmens Water with all lhe resources we feel a year. <br />have in the anorney general's oflke," Salazar Some New Mexico stale officials, including <br />said in a.Tuesday press Slatement. i , <br />Boyce ow", Stockmen's Water .nd a , Please see Salazar page 3 <br />I ~" . <br /> <br />Editor - 589-2553 <br /> <br />Salazar <br /> <br />. Continued from page I <br /> <br />(he sti.lte engineer. reportedly told <br />S"lw..r th.t they h.ve heen conwcled <br />by Stockmens W",er .bout huying <br />some uf the wuter. <br />Boyce c.lls claims he pl.ns to sell <br />the wuter to New Mex.ico, Las Vegu....m <br />SUUlhem California . 'horse manure," <br />He suid he has ugreement~ with Front <br />Runge cities and agencie5. <br />Salazar warned ugainst out-oF-state <br />shipments in a lener to Boyce's allor- <br />ney, Robert Krassa of Boulder. <br />The .ttomey general ha., .-,sembled <br />a (earn of swffers to prepare tor the <br />possible fight against Stockmen's Wa- <br />.ter, <br />"What you're going to see is the <br />beginning of anolher big wmer war, '. <br />Salazar said. <br />Boyce will have to prove that no one <br />is using the water and lhal area wells <br />won', be affected. He also would have <br />to make up for any losses his projecI <br />causes. <br />Iflhe water goes to the Front R"nge, <br />a 90-mile pipeline would have to be <br />built to send the water over mountain <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />p.sses. Oppondnts of Boyce's pl.n <br />comenu it wnullJ muke more ~ense to <br />send the water Ullwn the Rio Granue <br />River III New Me....ico or west Ihrough -, <br />warer exchung~$. <br />Shipping the: w,neroul~of-state would <br />jel)pardize Col'urildo's compact with ..; <br />Texus und New Me;l;ico for use orRin .:0 <br />Grande water, Salazar maintains. .i <br />He also fears ilcould open the fiood. ", <br />gUles for sale !of uther river water \0 '; <br />fast-growing Western Slales. <br />A f1fth-l!cnerationmemberofaranch :'~ <br />family th;t h.s lived in lhe San Luis <br />Valley since Ihe J8S(Js, Saluzar con- <br />tends thai the Waler proje~t would have <br />a big impact on uther water rights, as <br />well us fedel-al wildlife refuges and <br />wellands. i <br />Colorado ~olers in November de. <br />feated two b~lIot proposals engineered , <br />by Boyce. Tpe mea,ures would have <br />regulred melelS on some wells and '. <br />churged the Jl.io Grunde Water Conser- <br />vmion District for WElter drawn from <br />under state Irust lands. <br />. Tile Associated Pres <br />,I cOlllribuled 10 this story. <br /> <br />;. <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />