U.S. Congressman John Salazar is hoping to write solutions to many of the Arkansas Valley's water problems into the bill to expand storage in Lake Pueblo, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "A study of the cumulative impacts of water transfers, limiting any further involvement of Aurora in the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and cleaning up Fountain Creek, should all be studied along with the potential enlargement of Lake Pueblo, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Tuesday...
"Salazar is incorporating some of the ideas he shared with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District during committee meetings on PSOP earlier this year, as well as his comments to the Bureau of Reclamation about the validity of using the Fry-Ark Project to move water from the valley. The Southeastern District failed to come up with a PSOP bill this year after months of committee meetings because of lingering dissatisfaction with the bill by Colorado Springs, negotiation breakdowns between Colorado Springs and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and requests by Lake County and the Colorado River Conservation District to be included in a study of impact mitigation...
"His main point is to require a cumulative study of socioeconomic and environmental impacts of water transfers, performed by state agencies using federal funds, prior to using federal funds to study enlargement. 'Nothing in that would circumvent state water law,' Salazar said. 'It would define what the impacts to communities are and what mitigation you would have to make if you take the water.' Salazar would remove a section of legislation that authorizes Reclamation to enter into contracts with Aurora for use of Fry-Ark facilities, a move that could have fiscal impacts for the Southeastern district. The district gets $25 million from a 2003 intergovernmental agreement."
Category: Colorado Water
7:04:41 AM 
|
|
