Colorado Water
Several groups have crafted a plan to manage the upper South Platte river, according to the Rocky Mountain News [February 21, 2004, "Providing water while protecting Platte"]. From the article, "Crafted of politics rather than granite, it imposes an uneasy peace on the South Platte, ending a painful stalemate that has lasted since the infamous Two Forks Dam was vetoed by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989. The massive dam was touted as the metro area's answer to meeting future water needs, but it was defeated, in part, because it would have destroyed some of the most beautiful parts of the South Platte. The idea behind this plan is to protect what's left of the upper river's gold medal trout fisheries, rock structures and rafting routes while providing some new water to 2.6 million people in metro Denver . . . without a massive dam. The U.S. Forest Service has final say on the plan, primarily because the stretch of river that will be protected lies mostly within the boundaries of the Pike and San Isabel national forests. Late last month the Forest Service issued a final environmental impact statement on the proposal, essentially endorsing its content. But a final decision won't be made until the public comment period ends April 2. The Forest Service could make a final decision by June."
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