Article by George Sibley
Gunnison Water – December 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine
An Embarrassment of Riches
WHEN THE DISTRICT JUDGE decreed for the second time in 1998 that there was not enough water in the Upper Gunnison valley for the Union Park reservoir and diversion to the Front Range, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District Board was relieved. But they had no time to relax, because staring them in the face was a diligence hearing on the long-dormant Upper Gunnison Project.
Sidebar by Central Staff
Gunnison water – December 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine
For those who don’t remember the tale, Gordias was a Phrygian king who secured a wagon to a pole with such an intricate knot that it seemed no one could untie it — until Zeus declared that whoever unraveled the Gordian knot would one day reign over a vast empire.
Sidebar by Central Staff
Gunnison Water – December 1999 – Colorado Central Magazine
Last month, we began the saga of water development in the Upper Gunnison River valley — from the main stem of the Gunnison River down through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (which became a National Park in late October). This story of water details a history of ever-mounting complexity — as thread upon thread of legal, political and economic maneuvers have been woven into an ever more unwieldy knot.
Article by Chris Dickey
Gunnison Water – October 1998 – Colorado Central Magazine
THE CONTROVERSY over diverting water from the Gunnison Basin to the Front Range has outlasted two District Court rulings and one from the Colorado Supreme Court rulings. Today, the issue seems no closer to being decided than when it first arose more than a decade ago.
The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District has taken the lead role in opposing transbasin diversion. As a result of this expensive legal battle, the taxpayers of the district are being asked to approve a tax hike.
