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<br />~. <br />Coal takes back seat to farming:lh Dallas proiect" <br /> <br />By WILLIAM H. NELSON <br />__ Staff Writer <br />Gov. ~ Lamm bas won the de- <br />bate over using water for agriculture <br />instead of for generation of electricity <br />under the proposed Dallas Creek Proj- <br />ect In Montrose and Ouray counties. <br />The Colorado Water Conservation <br />Boai'd voted here Thursday afternoon <br />to ask Ule Bureau of Reclamation to <br />cbange the plans for use of 24,000 acre. <br />feet of water to reduce shortages of <br />water undel' the existing Uncompahgre <br />Project in Montrose and Delta counties. <br />Kemmerer Coal Co. has an option for <br />that amount of water for a coal-burning <br />power plant south of Montrose. <br />The motion on Dallas Creek passed <br />by !be board read. <br />"The Water Conserv:ation Board <br /> <br />pledges its full support for the Dallas <br />Creek Project and to securing construc- <br />tion funds .from the Congress. <br />"In doing so, we hereby request the <br />Bureau of Reclamation to re+fonnulate <br />the plan for the Dallas Project can- <br />matent with the objectives in the gover- <br />nor's letter proposing transfer of 24,000 <br />acre-feet of water presently designated <br />for Kemmerer Coal Co. to alternative <br />uses which will serve agrlculture. mu- <br />nicipal, light Industry~ and recreation <br />needs and to follow the following prior- <br />ities; <br />"Utilize a portion, or all, of the 24,000 <br />acre-feet to reduce irrigation shortages <br />within the service area of the existing <br />Uncompahgre Project. <br />"If the fu112~,OOO acre.feet yield is not <br />required, then 'consideration should be <br /> <br />given to supplying an area of new lands <br />west of the present Uncompahgre Proj- <br />ect. <br />"Increase the inactive pool of water .- <br />in the reservoir." The pool is now <br />planned at 15,000 acre-feel <br />Harris Shennan, director of the De- <br />partment of Natural Resources, read a <br />statement in part from Gov. Lamm: <br />_ "Based on my communications with <br />the Bureau of Recl&lJlation, r have been <br />assured the 24,000 ,acre.feet of water <br />presently set aside for power COR- <br />version purposes will instead be used <br />for agriculture -and other - non-power <br />uses in the valley. .. <br />. "The re-emphasis toward meeting <br />municipal and agricultural needs in the <br />valley holds great promise for the re- <br />gion and the state, - and ( pledge my <br /> <br />wholehearted supporl" <br />Felix Larry Sparks, director of the <br />board, explained that a report by the <br />National Water Commission had recom- <br />mended that the federal government <br />spend no more money on projects for <br />irrigated agriculture. The Nixon Ad- <br />ministration adopted this as a poliey, <br />Sparks said, and impounded funds ap- <br />propriated for Dallas Creek; <br />When Kemmerer Coal approached <br />the bureau asking about water, the <br />ageney considered this a way of COlll- <br />plying with the'policy to use water for <br />energy and other industrial purposes <br />and referred the company to the Tri. <br />County Dial <br />The question of what Tri-County can <br />do about the option to Kemmerer came <br />up; but Ben Stapleton of Denver, board <br /> <br />chairman, said that would have to be <br />worked out later. A representative of <br />Kemmerer was present early in the <br />meetings' but had left by the time he <br />was called to speak. r <br />J. F. Rinckel. chief of the planning <br />division of the Western Colorado Proj- <br />ects Office of BuREc, presented a slide <br />show giving information on the project <br />as outlined in the_definite plan report <br />now under review. He also presented <br />possible alternates for the use of the <br />24,000 acre-feet of water. <br />The motion approved by the board <br />COOlbined several of the alternatives <br />Rinckel propOsed. Two not included <br />were reduction of the size of Ridgway <br />Reservoir and increase the amount 'of <br />water to be released to the Uncom. <br />pahgre River for fish. <br /> <br />The decision Thursday followed BU- <br />merous conferences, . dozens of pbone <br />calls, airplane nights over the DaI1as <br />Creek Project area and field trips to. <br />reservoir sites. ! <br />The vote on the Dallas CfeeII: Project <br />was unanimous, but members' after- <br />word privately asked tbe questlon. <br />"With the governor making the deci- <br />sions, what purpose doe:l this board <br />have?" <br /> <br />No one representing the Ouray C0un- <br />ty Protective Assn. oppOsing Ihe Dallas <br />Creek Project made any statements. <br />But the decision was probably bitter- <br />sweet to them. They oppose the project <br />but were even more adamant in ftgbt- <br />ing the power plant. <br /> <br />fY\ Q.., '2 I \ q 1'5 <br /> <br />S,,-,,+;n'L\ <br />Co <br /> <br />lh"- DO-I \, <br /> <br />G \ <..:n w='\ <br /> <br />C' . <br />vp'-In''y'' I <br />