Colorado Water
The Animas-La Plata water project has been embroiled in controversy since it's inception. The Animas is one of the last rivers in Colorado that remains un-dammed. There has been a concerted effort to mitigate the damage to archaelogical sites. Native Americans and other agricuture interests want the water. Here's a story about cost overruns on the project from the Rocky Mountain News [November 24, 2003, "Water project's overruns slammed"]. From the article, "The project will include a dam and a 120,000 acre-foot reservoir at Ridges Basin near Durango, designed mainly to satisfy promises of water to two Ute Indian tribes, as well as supply water to northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. Congress approved a larger version of the project in 1968, but it was bogged down in controversy and lawsuits over its size, cost and environmental impacts. A scaled-back plan won congressional approval in 2000. Construction of the reservoir and dam is slated for 2008, subject to congressional appropriations."
Here's another article about Douglas County's water woes from the Rocky [November 24, 2003, "Home buyers in dark"]. From the article, "A Rocky Mountain News poll of 300 people who bought homes in the county during the last two years found that 81 percent were told nothing about water from the people who helped them make their purchase. Five percent were told that water supplies are unlimited, which water experts say isn't true. Yet more than a third of the homeowners know something is amiss with water resources. Thirty-six percent said they don't believe Douglas County has enough water to support future growth and development."
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