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<br />Vol. 100
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<br />
<br />Letters
<br />More on the Walcher-Miller water debate
<br />
<br />Dear D,l\"t:
<br />Thanks (or Y....lur {ollD\\".up
<br />n{l[t' I did nO! m's~ \"tlur ["I(l1Tl1
<br />\\"e understand e>.3cth Wi131.
<br />\'OU are proposing.
<br />You write that "the Kansas
<br />suit is Colorado's problem" and
<br />we disagree. The fa,' that you
<br />Ii\'e on "the dry slope'. was !'our
<br />decision. But you now suggest
<br />thai Colorado's n..... obligatIOn
<br />III reduce its use oi Kansas.
<br />water makes Gunnison River
<br />dIversions imperatin~, bec<luse
<br />
<br />Ihere l:-in I oll1\ hetter frOll1
<br />Range supply. The tatter poii'll i;.
<br />d(>batclblt, (J-ftlnt ILlllgl' Tl':,""
<br />dents orpl~sl'd 1 W(1 Forks, Wl'
<br />didn't). I ~ugge~t that you con.
<br />tinuE' Il' if-noTe our point, ~(l
<br />here's on(' more tn",.
<br />The facllhal FRONT RANGE
<br />cities ha\'e ~ro\""n and ron-
<br />sumed water bt'yond the capa-
<br />bility of the land. dri.d up (ann
<br />lands, and \'iolated the compact
<br />with Kansas is-how to SOl" it
<br />politel~"NOT WESTERN COL'
<br />
<br />UI~ADl),~ l'I~CmLnl 'Il' ,"'l,1
<br />\Ve5~ern Slope water \0 ~t)l\'e I:
<br />I~ simply 10 sp.eaJ thl' III1Sl'r.\
<br /><Hld CTeate tht> same long-term
<br />problem over here. You musl
<br />know we"re not going to let that
<br />happen if we can stop it; \\'('
<br />seek to learn from the mistakes
<br />made on the Fronl Hange, nol
<br />r.p.at th.m,
<br />
<br />Sincer.I}';
<br />Gr.g E. Walcher,
<br />President
<br />Club 20
<br />
<br />And this one is Miller-Walcher
<br />
<br />Dear Gr.g:
<br />Many thanks (or your July :!1
<br />W.st Slop. policy I.ll.r on use
<br />of Colorado'!; surplu, Colorado
<br />Ri\'er compact entitlements
<br />Th. W.st Slop.'s lat. gr.at.
<br />U,S, R.pr.seotati\,e, Wayn.
<br />Aspinall, would sur.ly nul agree
<br />with your position that E,,,t
<br />Slope ....at.r shortag.s are not a
<br />concern for the water-rich \'\"t'st
<br />Slope ar.a, Rep, Aspinall iull.-'
<br />
<br />appr.ciat.d th. (act that unallo-
<br />cated stale Willers belung to i111
<br />Coloradans under our constitu-
<br />tion. He sp.cilically justified th.
<br />rh'er regulating capabilities of
<br />Blue Mesa Res('r\'oir to allow
<br />development of the state's
<br />unused waters for both slopes.
<br />Colorado I.aders should stop
<br />Ignoring the (acts, The dr\'.r
<br />Easl Slop~ rural i1nd urban areil~
<br />are fan>...l with ., gn1wing watPf
<br />
<br />shortage. On the other hand Ihl'
<br />West Slope has a growing water
<br />surplus, due 10 thE' long.tertT'
<br />switch from irrigated agriculture
<br />to tourism, retirement, Iighl
<br />manufacturing. ctc.
<br />All of Colorado's tr"nsmOlln-
<br />tain water is currentl\' from th.....
<br />C(llorado Rh'cr Main Stem Basi!'
<br />west of Denver. As a re5ull.
<br />
<br />continued on [lage 10
<br />
<br />Thursday, August 3/1995
<br />
<br />Continued from page 2 ford Mountain ReservOIr Pro-
<br />lllosl 0( Colomdo's unused Col- ject. Most of the conduit cost to
<br />{ITllda Ri'-er 'Cnmract losses are. fill and deliver from Uni9n Park
<br />(wm 111(> wetter, ~ul o\'erlooked will PE> offset b)' dean.power
<br />Gunni~on Basin. Colorado re"enue~ irom the reversible
<br />urgentl~' nepds a high altii~'de rump-generators and the
<br />Cunni~lln !=-tora.ge capability to, region's guaranteed drought
<br />con~er\'P some of its currently ~ flows.
<br />\Va~t(>d snowm~lt during}~~~ i~stead of f,u.eli~g old intcr-
<br />heil\'\, runoff vears, This saved ~ baSin water fights, Colorado
<br />....al.r will th.~.OO available for' lead.rs on both slopes should
<br />lo\\'-cost gravity delivery to& r.~ogniz. Western mes.-trends
<br />ri\'.r .O\'irorrii.nls ,on both, an~, umt. qUlC,\<iy, bel:!tnd,t!l.
<br />slopes during llie damaging~ slate's h.ad\,:Va,I,er. storage
<br />multi-y.ar drought cy~l.s, 'I" op~o~: ,No ,oth.<;!,~a~ ,co~r-
<br />If Colo~ad. o.;.\.ad~rs liko;, !h~ va,twn,.. ?n..cePt~J!'P~r.!,s'W!,th
<br />droughl and' recreation berieli~ Ih. multip'~e, eIJ~ental ,,!a1-
<br />olth. new 6O,0(X), acre foolWol- ues. p( sll;!nng '.:".a;~t"'tSI)p)Nm.lt
<br />(ord MOUlitain'Re.e'rvoir:'they where it,can oo~~ ~
<br />should absolutely love the. pro-ft throug!1,o,,! ,th!'I~I\~~ region
<br />posed 900,OOO.,acze~t.~~ w~en l'!"!!<Ied d,'!"!!S.!i'.t!!!ghts,
<br />GWulJO.. '~&9.ir.'.;'ijUs~ ,J;:,ol,,?!,!d!, !!~I1~,"I)~!,l1y
<br />reservoir can.g\larantee ade- 6; sq~~~,~.. g~~~f~!~.~~~r.e~Jo
<br />quat. flows 'fi>r'thi,Cu,mison, ~ d~,w,!l--, ~ive~ ':Ml!~{h'.a~e,a.,
<br />Colorado, ??u\h Platt!'! and ~ beca)J,~.ll",l~ad.'l!!"~,~",,.~g
<br />Arkansas ~iV,.~.ri.v.ir'1nlf'e1ilS !jthe 'pohhcally sens.hve Int.r-
<br />during maid Le~ts~f 5!')fete R ?asln-c_ wal_er, ::d':,v!~op,:!,~~
<br />drought. It will "l'j,o,prp.r,i~e"lns~ues: As a'lreY'Vo1ce fOr'ltie
<br />ne.d.d flood e!>,:,tro~.' r~~!jce.' We,st SIO.p~.~ YQu coul~ ~Ip,
<br />W.st.rn .vaporation,!osses:p;:a; . break..!11is,cOStI)'lgnifroCldodhe
<br />teet endangered species. a'n~. en~o~~~~~l~~~':..n~.~!
<br />s.,,'. as a world c1ass'l:a\(eiboths!~"1'_~H"_.__-,--
<br />
<br />Tro~~:i~::7io d.ml~~ GU~:'~~ cri~fe"!i1l:!~~~~~;
<br />, ,(.. '"I. .f'-- ';"""TI!:;"..I"\o-n,',SSUes -~'-J;t ,.~,.. ",_,
<br />son!:; 01 -f1,.pr' ~ ac er-car-ve'U, ':.'. ':':~,..r;--:- . ';:-.;;-;;...-'
<br />Union Park ~l\e 15 about the ,,:_:i~-:::i:~'7Slncere.ly,
<br />same il~ thE> much smaller Wol~ ......- u .~.~~ Dave-MiI[e:r
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