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<br />-~ <br /> <br />f),cA,,,v"<'''' - <br /> <br />A [[,.0\ '~t,~~,t-\ <br /> <br />~r - I <br /> <br />w <br /> <br />Wt'LL Uu.;I lCI J <br />organize <br /> <br />. by Meb Ehm <br />MANZANOLA - In anuclpaUon <br />of tougher well regulauons and <br />In reaction to "lhe two already <br />ex15Ung well water replacement <br />group9. the newly Cormed <br />Arkansas Groundwater Uaers <br />AssoclaUon (AGUA) was In the <br />midst of disseminating <br />InfonnaUon and enllsung more <br />new members. <br />At an open meeUng on March <br />29 here. the 55 In attendance <br />found themselves In iii. fcum that <br />allowed for question. and <br />concerns BS well as provision of <br />expertise from the fonner Slate <br />Engineer Dr. .J:uv1!1 Danielson. <br />Dick Ems, president from <br />Pueblo, began by saying the <br />memberuhlp In AGUA will better <br />protect owned wells. He <br />explained that this organlZaUon <br />plans to rotate board members <br />to maintain an equlUbrlum. <br />MeeUngs are to be open to <br />memhen. and financial n:portJJ <br />will be'-avaUab.1e to meinhcm" to. <br />keep them lnCon:ocd. <br />An essenual aspect la- that <br />members know how and where <br />Ute group's monies are being <br />spent The dues wtll be used to <br />purchase replacement water and. <br />to buy up more water In the <br />future. Evans said even though <br />this a.9soclaUon 1.9 not charging <br />back dues, It Is possible dues <br />could end up being higher than <br />the other lWO associations. <br />However. the difference between <br />AG UA and the others wtll be <br />seen in tangible anelsnwater <br />runs. He said, ~the only way to <br />have secured water 1s to own It,. <br />A .concern (rom the floor was <br />where lhc! walc:r Is going to come <br />Cram. 'Evans contended there's <br />always water rlghls for sale. <br />InlUally, small water rtghts w111 <br />be more feasible because aucUon <br />walc:r w111 no doubt be at the <br />higher end of cost . <br />Even though the new law 19 not <br />finallzed, It's believed by Evans <br />that the 3/7 rule of pumping <br />three days. per week will be <br />history,. There will be no more <br />Cree water at all eventually. <br />Augmenting the water supply Is <br />currently at 69 percent. and <br />there l!I BOrne concern U:!ls figure <br />allO Will change to a higher <br />percentage. <br />Fecs to belong to AGUA are <br />cwnntJ)'. bued on segments of <br />60 lic:rC feet The cost18 $160 per. <br />60 acre feet <br />Dan1cllon, who 19 now a prtvate <br />englneertng consultant. look the <br />Ooor. -I feel we are a.t a real <br />crossroad,. he said and added he <br />believes the Supreme Court <br />special master's findings arc 'Well <br />grounded In the facta and w111 <br />.Uck. The decision, however. <br />hasn't come out very favorably <br />for ground water uscrs. He <br />furthered that It's cntlrely <br />possible even pre.Arkansas River <br />Compact wella w1U see problems <br />due to the ruling and alluded to <br />the fact that those. In. the <br />Arkansas Valley and a good Cree <br />rtde-for about 20 ycars with lhe <br />threc-day rule, and now It's all <br />about to change. According to <br />Danielson, well owners can <br />choose to spend millions of' <br />dollars In legal fees and" <br />UlIgatlon, or they can ch~ge to <br />move on, find ways to augment <br />~d get Ute Job do.ne by pumping <br />In an economic Cashion. By <br />m~.ng some choices, too oft.en <br />owners have become their own <br />worst enemles In the past <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />I ~. <br />, " <br />";" " <br />