Hi Friends of the Colorado River, I predict that 2025 will be a fascinating year…
James Eklund must allow public review and comment of the “Drought Contingency Plan”
For Immediate Release
Sept. 16, 2018
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado, 970-218-8310
James Eklund must be transparent, allow public review and comment on the “Drought Contingency Plan” for the Upper Colorado River Basin
Denver: After a verbal sparring match erupted in the Sept. 14th Grand Junction Sentinel (see link to story), Save The Colorado is calling on Upper Colorado River Commissioner, James Eklund, to provide a public review and comment period for the “Upper Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan”. The sparring match was between Colorado River District General Manager, Andy Mueller, and Eklund, wherein Mueller was reported to have said:
“We have a very serious concern that we haven’t seen the demand-management document. We haven’t seen what it is our Upper Colorado River commissioner is potentially going to sign within the next month. We haven’t seen those documents that are about to be executed. We’ve been told that we don’t need to see them. We’re not OK with that. We don’t think it’s acceptable. We think those documents need to be shared with us and frankly the impact of those documents needs to be shared with the water users of the Western Slope and the state of Colorado,” Mueller said.

“We agree with Andy Mueller that James Eklund must be transparent and must provide a draft of this important document for the Colorado public to review and comment on,” said Gary Wockner, Director of Save The Colorado. “Draining Colorado’s reservoirs and drying up hundreds of thousands of acres of farms just to try and save Lake Powell could have profound consequences on the Colorado River, let alone Colorado’s economy and environment.”
The draft of the plan has been discussed for over two years, In fact, a year ago in 2017, Save The Colorado sent a Freedom of Information Act request (see link) to the Upper Colorado River Commission to get a draft of the Drought Contingency Plan. The Commission responded by sending slide presentations, but said no draft document existed at that time. The comments in the Sept 14, 2018, Grand Junction Sentinel indicate that a draft document now exists.
“Trying to save Lake Powell continues to look like a fool’s errand throwing good money after bad that would have apocalyptic impacts on Colorado’s environment,” said Wockner. “Eklund must turn this plan over for public review and comment.”
This press release is posted here.
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