Sunday, October 22, 2006

In-stream flows for water parks in Chaffee County Summit Daily News: "A state water judge has approved Chaffee County's request to guarantee enough water in the Arkansas River part of the year to give kayakers, rafters and other whitewater enthusiasts a central Colorado playground. The decree signed Friday by Judge Dennis Maes will provide water from March 15 to Nov. 15 each year for boating courses in Buena Vista and Salida, said Chaffee County Commissioner Jerry Mallett. He said the move will help protect the county's economy, which takes in about $50 million a year from river-related recreation... "Mallett said during a May event in Buena Vista, one store saw $110,000 in revenue in four days, and the river park in Salida brings in up to $2.5 million a year. The decree comes after two years of negotiations among the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Colorado Division of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Division of Parks, Arkansas River Outfitters Association, Colorado Springs, the Pueblo Board of Water Works and Pueblo West. It calls for maintaining various levels of minimum flows in the river if enough water is available, and allows maximum flows for eight days between late May and June 30 for events. River flows will not be affected from Nov. 15-March 15 so irrigation companies can store water. The decree allows for reduced recreational flows during years in which senior water rights holders need to fill their reservoirs." Category: Colorado Water 8:49:15 AM     Ritter for governor? Here's an editorial from the Pueblo Chieftain penned by Bill Ritter. He writes, "Few issues are more important to Pueblo, to Southern Colorado and to the state itself than how we use and manage our water. Colorado is at a crossroads as to how we allocate water between cities, farms, industries and recreation. The outcome will determine what our economy, our environment and our quality of life will look like. In recent years, the Arkansas Valley has been hit harder than most of Colorado because of water diversions from agricultural areas to municipalities, both within and outside the basin... "If large scale water diversions are nevertheless pursued between cities and individual farmers, I favor better protections for the impacted agricultural communities. We need to carefully consider how to offset the impacts that can occur. If elected governor, I will bring the affected parties together to identify and implement appropriate solutions." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:41:24 AM     Ritter or Beauprez for governor? In his column in today's Denver Post, Ed Quillen details a few of the reasons why he will not vote for U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez this year. From the opinion piece, "Some time ago, I wrote that Bill Ritter is one Democrat who could make me vote for a Republican. But the Republicans nominated Bob Beauprez, who seems to be quite disconnected from the Colorado that you and I live in. Remember Referendum A from 2003, which would have allowed the state to issue up to $2 billion in bonds to finance unspecified water projects? The measure that was defeated in every one of our 64 counties? A substantial majority of Coloradans opposed it, but Beauprez was for it. Recall Referendum C last year, the measure that eased some TABOR restrictions on the state budget? A majority of Coloradans supported it. Beauprez was against it. So here's a candidate who opposes us on two important matters: water and money... "And if he believes that Ritter's judgment was questionable - and nobody is going to make the right call every time - then what about his own in picking a running mate, Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland? When running for commissioner in 2004, she answered a questionnaire from the Western Colorado Christian Chronicle. Asked how she felt about of 'separation of church and state,' she replied that, 'It's not in the Constitution. We should have the freedom of religion, not the freedom from religion.' It's true, that phrase is not in the federal Constitution. But she forgot the Constitution in answering another question: What do you think the framers of our Constitution meant when they wrote about the 'Right to Life?' That phrase isn't in the Constitution, either; it is derived from the Declaration of Independence (among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness). Rowland, however, answered that 'It implies that citizens have the right to expect government to protect the life of all - even the unborn.' So when it was time to exercise his own judgment, Beauprez picked someone who doesn't care what's in the Constitution. He makes a big deal out of immigration, yet he wants to leave Congress where he could actually do something about it. He wants to replace a fair tax with a regressive tax, and he's in direct opposition to the expressed will of Colorado voters on water and finance." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:32:52 AM     Water flows to money Up north in Wyoming many eyes are watching Aaron Million's pipeline project, according to the Jackson Hole Star Tribune. From the article, "Wyoming officials are warily watching an ambitious plan to build a 400-mile-long pipeline through the state to pump water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir for up to 900,000 families across Colorado's Front Range... "Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal doesn't know a lot about the proposal at this stage, spokeswoman Lara Azar said Friday. 'But he's incredibly skeptical ... He's not inclined to say much until he knows whether it's just another pipe dream or whether it really goes forward,' Azar said in an e-mail. Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Mike Besson said Million spoke with state water officials about the proposal. 'We're watching this, but I think they've got a mighty tall mountain to climb and a lot of hurdles ahead of them,' Besson said in a telephone interview. 'First of all, this is all in the private sector, and I think even getting an easement for a pipeline that long would be problematic,' he said. 'I think the only way this will fly is if the state of Colorado really gets involved in this at a state level.'[...] "'This is a forever type project, but the old adage is that water flows to money ... and this might be affordable from their perspective,' Besson said." More Coyote Gulch coverage here. Category: Colorado Water 8:22:56 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 12/29/06; 12:21:59 PM.