Colorado Water
If the South Platte river basin experiences normal spring moisture Denver Water is hoping that reservoirs will fill to 92% of capacity, according to the Rocky Mountain News [February 18, 2004, "Denver Water crosses its fingers on reservoirs"]. From the article, "Denver Water expects its drought-stricken reservoirs to reach 92 percent of capacity this summer if spring weather provides normal amounts of snow and rain. A dry spring, along with voluntary watering limits, would allow reservoirs to fill to just 77 percent of capacity, according to a preliminary forecast released Tuesday."
Douglas County is proposing a study to hook into a new pipeline project being built by the East Cherry Creek water district, according to the Rocky Mountain News [February 18, 2004, "Douglas to study pipeline"]. From the article, "Originally, members of the Douglas County Water Resource Authority were exploring the option of paying $10,000 to study the feasibility of hooking into the pipeline. However, at Tuesday's water resource authority meeting, Douglas County Commissioner Jim Sullivan announced that the county would look into the project on its own, and will bear the costs of the evaluation. County officials will report their findings to water authority members within the next couple of months, Sullivan said. If the county, or other water districts, want to piggyback on the roughly $150 million project, they must pay to enlarge the pipeline. They must also pay for their own water rights. Although authority members generally endorsed Sullivan's plan, some said they thought it would be better for the feasibility study to be paid for and pursued by the entire water authority rather than the county acting on its own."
Representative John Salazar's bill to compensate rural areas when cities buy up rural water rights is in trouble if Denver Water's lobbyist is correct in her "Informal Count," according to the Denver Post [February 18, 2004, "Denver Water aiming to sink proposal"]. From the article, "Politically powerful Denver Water is strangling legislation that would make sure rural areas get paid when fast-growing cities buy up their water from local farms and rivers. On Tuesday, the utility's statehouse lobbyist, Sara Duncan, all but promised defeat of the bill, sponsored by Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa. The utility has just enough votes on its side in the House to kill the bill, but if the measure doesn't die in the House it will in the Senate, she said. Salazar said he doubts that Denver Water's support is that firm...Denver Water officials said Tuesday the bill is too vague about which situations would warrant compensation from utilities that get water from rural areas...The attorney general (Ken Salazar) last week told local officials from 13 southeastern Colorado counties that they stand to lose half of the 300,000 acres once used for agriculture. Cities are drying up the farms by buying up their water, he said. When farms dry up, so do jobs, small-town businesses and the local tax base, both Salazars have said."
6:02:21 AM 
|
|
