--, <= pi t -. ,,£;1(\ \ \ " ~ ,"u " ___ =:"::,:,:"~ __ ,:,::,:",:,::,,,,:,,:,:,,:,,:,:,,,, -:,,::,~~~"::':"":;::':':':::~~~---l.:,;;';';';""'......,..-,The Paper for Peopie who Carela60ut the West • A sacrilegious proposal Is Colorado River water for sale? government to build dams to store to the marketplace. The San Diego says: "There are many problems with _____ ,by Ed Marston water in anticipation of the day the County Water Authority is attempting' the San Diego idea. But I personally region's industrial and population he Central Arizona Project is at to lease "surplus" Colorado River don't believe it's impossible to come ships come in. least a year away from watering water from Colorado" Utah and up with a legal exporr scheme." A lawns, golf courses and crops in Wyoming. 1983 ,Colorado statute allows, the Now the Upper Basin states, by T export of water to be a beneficial use if seriously considering a le as ing the Phoenix area. But the multibillion- The attempt has created a furor dollar diversion of water out of the within California. Much of Southern it meets certain conditions. proposal, are implying that those Colorado River is already rearranging California has turned on San Diego. In Wyoming, the state's' wafer ships won't arrive for at least 15 to 20 the way water is viewed in the West. And the agency which sets Califor- officials continue to examine the years. They say' this against a In particular, the strains created by nia's water policy, the California proposal and to communicate with the backdrop of electric energy surplus, CAP could move water from a Colorado River Board, has condemned other basin states. flat coal demand, a dead copper commodity which is ,managed almost attempts to change the Law of the Most significantly, the leasing market, suffering agriculture, further totally in the political arena to one River to permit the leasing of water. proposal has revived a moribund declines in oil prices, and an oil shale subject to marketplace forces. CAP The staff of the Southern California water project. The Juniper' Cross industry kept breathing thanks only to could also force the Upper Basin states Metropolitan- Water District has also project on the still largely virgin a federal iron lung. of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to expressed outrage over the proposal. Yampa River in northwest Colorado It is even possible to interpret the reassess the ways in which their Outside of California, Arizona's has been resurrected by the Colorado interest in the San Diego proposal as a economies will develop over the next top water. official, Wes Steiner, has River Water Conservancy District in 'permanent abandonment of hopes for half century. said bluntly that any attempt by San light of the interes t in exporting water. development, The conventional wis- The Central Arizona Project. is a Diego to lease Upper Basin water The facr that top officials in the .dorn is that water will always be worth perfect example of the way in which would end up in court. Steiner, who three Upper Basin states are much more to a Phoenix or LA. than politics rules water. It is being built calls the leasing proposals ridiculous, considering the lease proposal says to a Salt Lake City or Rock Springs. '" because several generations of is travelling the basin threatening to something about how they now see Thus; any 'lease' will be permanent. Arizona political leaders, with Con- sue. their economic futures. The water As time goes on; lease payments paid gressman Morris Udall (D) the latest, The reaction to what Arizona and which is to be leased is "surplus" .. by Southern California or Arizona to dedicated their careers to getting. much of Southern California see as water which the stares are entitled to the Upper Basin states will increase, Congress to appropriate money for its sacrilege has been different in the under the. te_rros of the sev.en.state 't} and the water will keep flowing Colorado River Compact. The Ideology _ construction. -"- - M- -'. Upper Basin. Colorado, Utah and downhill. But the construction, of CAP Wyoming have not committed to the in the Upper Basin states has always t is no coincidence rhat the idea combined with water developments in lease' proposal. But none have been that-that water will be put to use of water as a marketplace California has created strains which condemned it. In Utah, outgoing as the states develop coal, oil shale, commodity has, been pushed politics seems unable to accommo- Governor Scott Matheson (D) has electric power plants, snowmaking for I 'most. vigorously in recent years by date. As a result, San Diego County in expressed enthusiasm for the idea. In ski areas, and as their populations environmentalists. In particular, Brent Southern California has abandoned Colorado, Department' of Natural increase. The push in .the Upper BaSIn states has always been to "use it or the traditional political way in which Resources head David Getches, a [Continued on page 10) water decisions are made and turned prominent natural resources attorney, lose it" .. to convince the federal ~\:J e ~ 3 ~'"• 0/, ,; • ; •, Yampa River in Yampa Canyon·;' Dinosaur National Mo,,*.ment, Colorado , , . , ligk,~co"nlr)l News .. October 29, 1984 Dear friends, , Today, the 35,000 acre range is in beautiful shape. The grazed sections Our not so new intern, Jeff Marti, are healthier than fenced test areas tells us Paonia surprised him: "It's a the cows haven't touched in 20 years. lot biggerthan I thought it would be." The ranchers and Forest Service still Since the town has 1400 residents disagree at times, but they share a and a two"block main street, we asked commitment to good management and him what he'd expected. "Lisa told a healthy range. me it had a Mexican restaurant, a There is a tendency in urban areas natural food store and a public radio to see ranchers as arrogant men on station, So I expected three build- horseback dominating the landscape ings.' _ and politics of their region. There are Lisa is Lisa Lombardi, HCN's last knights like that, hut the ranchers we intern, and it was she who filled] eff in know are working people who own over the phone on what to expect. To cows, land and grazing permits rather Lisa, an English graduate student at than the- tools of some other trade. Ll-Mass., Paonia did consist of just Unfortunately, these working people those three buildings. But when] eff are in trouble. arrived, he discovered the town also The tour was held on a beautiful has a .Gambles, a Western Auto, a day in a beautiful setting. But there non-health food store, a new town was a pall over it. - Ranchers are in hall, a fine library, and several beauty terrible financial shape, and the Jeff Marli parlors and tanning salons. ' people we toured with, members of policies will evolve so that the issues . Jeff, 21, is a native of New Ulm, families that have been on the same will someday rate only a grateful Minnesota, home of America's only land for several generations, are footnote saying" All is well." freestanding Glockenspiel. In ] an- under constant pressure to sell out to a uary, assuming the snows let him get "gentleman" rancher or to split the Speaking of HCN's future, we out of town, he will return to his senior land up for summer homes or hunting thank all those who have already re- year at Iowa State University, where cabins. Doris Miller, head of the local sponded to the 1984 Research Fund he majors In journalism and Cowbelles and a member of the tour, appeal. It is off to a very fine start, as - environmental studies. said the survival of the industry hinges page 14 shows. Envelopes are coming In addition to innumerable bulletin on whether it can change from one in at a higher rate than last year, boards (catch his masterpiece on perceived as feeding additives such as which makes us wonder if we've ......"!,{../ "j. -" luxury skiing. in this issue), he has steroids to one which is producing a improved, or if your finanical condi- High- Country'. News, written stories on the publicity-mad healthful, necessary food. tion has improved. We hope it's a Wyoming poachers, a public meeting For the most part, HeN concen- combination of both, HIGH COUNTRY NEWS (ISSN/01911 on aspen cutting, and the Homestake trates on the grim side of the news. Finally, a certain number of past 5657) is published b-iweekly, except for one II water> project. In this issue, he But the range four reminded us that contributors have not yet received a- 'issue during August and one .issue during resource problems do get solved, It is mailing. In case you are feeling January, by the High Country News writes of grizzlies. at least possible that' the Forest neglected, that mailing is in the works Foundation, 224 Grand Avenue, Paonia, One of us (Ed Marston) recently Colorado, 81428. Second-class postage paid- at Service's road and tree-cutting although not yet in the mail. spent a day with 25 Forest Service Paonia, Colorado. policies and the BLM's grazlOg ~·the staff- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to people: Rocky Mountain regional HIGH COUNTRY NEWS, Box 1090, Paonia, CO forester Jim Torrence, forest super- :r: 81428t visors, district rangers and public Q Tom Bell \ aff)'irs officers from Colorado, South cdt/or Emerit.;ts 1. Dakota, and Wyoming, The retreat Ed Marstbn focused on press-agency relations and Publisher HCN was to be one of four papers HClSY Marston represented on a panel. But thanks to Editor a Denver area snowstorm, HeN was ) udy Moffatt the only paper to get over Guanella Promotion ~Pass to the Grant, Colorado dude !\Ia'rjane Ambler Carol Jones ranch.