Farmers seek water audit

April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 25, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

A coalition of northeastern Colorado farmers called on Gov. Bill Owens Thursday to order an audit of the South Platte River to ensure water laws are being enforced and water is not being stored illegally.

More than 25 farmers and ranchers gathered at the state Capitol and urged Owens to respond to a letter sent to him July 17.

Chuck Sylvester, a prominent Weld County farmer and write-in candidate for governor, said rumors are rampant in Weld, Morgan and Washington counties that water laws are being ignored and water is possibly being hoarded upstream by Front Range cities with senior water rights.

"Farmers are hemorrhaging and they're at grave risk of losing their lands and livelihoods," Sylvester said.

Dan Hopkins, spokesman for Owens, said the decision to conduct an audit will be made by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, which has already studied the river's flow numerous times, he said.

"The governor understands the farmers' concerns, but this is more about the effects of a drought than it is about studies and audits," Hopkins said. "An audit won't create more water."

Farmers are still reeling from the state's decision to shut down more than 400 wells this spring after hundreds of fields already had been planted.

They are being forced to comply with a tough state law, enacted in 2003, requiring well users to replenish the river.

Featured

• DNC in Denver

  

  Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

• The Crevasse

  

  A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.

• Deadly denial

  

  Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.

• Final Salute

  

  The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.

• 'Colorado's burning'

  

  Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.

• Columbine shootings

  

  Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.

• The Crossing

  

  Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.

• Osveli's journey

  

  Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.

• Wake for an Indian warrior

  

  Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.