Thursday, May 5, 2005

Lake Powell Ken Salazar opened his Durango office yesterday and took the Secretary of Interior to task for her decision on releases from Lake Powell, according to the Durango Herald. They write, "The big issue is to get California, which for years used more than its allotted share of water, on a diet, Salazar said." Is HB 1177 a Denver area water grab? Tom McAvoy thinks so. He writes, in the Pueblo Chieftain, "The idea of taking from the able and giving to the needy is not just a now-discredited Marxist theory of government and economy. No, the same kind of socialistic thinking pervades the politics of water transfers, as well. Consider: The Colorado Legislature just passed HB1177, which calls for empaneling water roundtables - citizens sitting and talking around a table - to negotiate interbasin water compacts. Each of Colorado's eight river basins will have its own roundtable group to negotiate with a corresponding group from one or more other basins. Their legal agreements, or compacts, according to the bill's legislative declaration, is 'to promote the equitable use of the state's waters.' Equitable? Consider that HB1177 gives the Denver metropolitan area a ninth roundtable, meaning there will be two in the South Platte Basin - twice the seats at the bargaining table as the Arkansas, Rio Grande, Colorado and four other river basins on the Western Slope." Thanks to MakesMeRalph for the links. Category: Colorado Water 7:02:34 PM     Fraser River U.S. Representative Mark Udall is trying to get Grand County, Denver Water, and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to sit down and work out a plan for the Fraser River, according to the Rocky Mountain News [May 5, 2005, "Udall: 'Stakes are high' for Fraser River"]. From the article, "The Fraser is one of four rivers that comprise the headwaters of the Upper Colorado River. The streams, already heavily harvested by Front Range cities, will see more of their supplies tapped in the next 10 to 20 years as Denver Water and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District move to bring over water which they already own but haven't needed until now. Both agencies are seeking federal permits to boost their water diversions from Grand County, a premier Colorado tourist destination. Grand County officials, concerned about low stream flows because of the drought, are worried that additional diversions from the Fraser and the Upper Colorado River will cripple their wastewater treatment plants and force them to restrict growth." Here's the link to the Rocky's excellent series The Last Drop. They highlighted Grand County in the series. The Fraser flows through Grand County. Category: Colorado Water 6:22:31 AM

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