Something BAD is happening to Colorado Agriculture

[Marilyn in CO]

Please go to Coloradowaterusers.org and get the FACTS of what is happening to devistate the historical agricultural economy of Colorado. I am a member of this committee and am passionately trying to get the word out that the future of farming is a stake in our state. This is not about a few farmers personally going out of business. We are a hardy bunch and we will find other means of making a living......this is about the end of the ability of our state to FEED it's people. The long term effects of the take over of our water has gone into the hands of lawyers and has been taken out of the hands of the State Water Engineer. Why is the governor and all the other state officials running scared? Something very sinister is movng about in the STATE OF COLORADO concerning the taking of our water for agriculture.

Please Homesteader Coloradoans get involved if you value locally produced crops. We must hold tightly to our ability to grow our own crops. There is NO WISDOM in depending on our food supply to come from long distances.

These are all the products that will directly affected: Cattle, hay, barley sugarbeets, dry beans, dairy, poultry, nursery, vegetables, corn, wheat, sheep, hogs, sunflowers, millet

THIS IS SERIOUS

[MullersLaneFarm]

I thought Nebraska owned all the CO water rights.

Don't understand it, just heard about it and thought it was so strange the thought stuck in my brain

[Marilyn in CO]

Nebraska does have some rights to the flow of the South Platte River which originates in the mountains of Colorado. Other than that, CO water rights belong to CO. The issue I am referring to, in particular, is the takeover of the well owners of the South Platte River Basin in NE Colorado. In the workings and behind the scenes, is a plan to take over EVERY water right of the ENTIRE eastern Colorado agricultural areas and put it in the front range municipalities. Eastern Colorado covers a HUGE area and it will be economically bankrupt and will frankly become wasteland if the plan is fulfilled. There really are not any words of how profoundly this will impact our state.

[Billie in MO]

I know Marilyn, it is sickening what they are trying to do. Even tho I am on the Western Slope I try to keep up with the issues because the Front Range is always trying to figure out a way to get our water to. They won't limit their growth and just keep building when they don't have the infrastructure to support it. So they go after everyone else and expect us to roll over and give it to them.

[Marilyn in CO]

Billie, do everything you can to help hold on to your water rights there on the Western Slope, if we lose more of those precious, wonderful peaches, pears, cherries and apples, that would be a horrible crime in my books. There really isn't any more of a heavenly fruit than a Colorado peach from the Western Slope!!!!!!!!!!!

[Billie in MO]

Marilyn, we are trying to!! But we are seeing a building spree here, as well. And unfortunately, some of the orchards are gone, either to homes or they are being turned into vineyards. But we do have some dedicated farmers who keep at it. But we did have a late freeze this year that did do some damage in the valley to the orchards.

Ah yes, the lovely Elberta peach! Have one in my backyard, as well as 3 cherry trees, 2 pears, and 1 apricot. I'm trying!!

[Marilyn in CO]

Billie, good for you!!!!!! I love the Western slope, we made many trips over the hill to get a trunkload of peaches to can and freeze. I bet I ate a dozen peaches on the trip back home.LOL We do so hold dear those fruits that grow in our state, because a peach, pear or apricot tree has a difficult, if not impossible, time growing in my neck of the woods....actually praire.LOL My MIL used to have some pretty impressive cherry trees out here though and I have my one apple tree that struggles along every year to produce maybe 12 apples. Fifty years ago the Loveland area, right next to the foot hills had wonderful cherry and apple orchards, but they have long since been bull dozed for houses.

[james dilley]

I think its going to be worse than some folks think, Colo. Today Tommorow the rest of the Western United states. The Rio Grande will be next. So I would like to see the Water rights in Colo. go back to those who Have had the rights And have used them wisely for the last 100 years..

[Jan in CO]

Marilyn, glad you posted this. I just sit here amazed at what is happening and NO ONE in government seems to care! This country could very easily find it'self a 3rd world country in nothing flat if we continue to run our farmers and ranchers out of business and allow all our food to be imported from countries that aren't restricted as to what they do or do not put on the crops, etc. I know people need recreation, places to live, etc. BUT if we don't have food, we won't be needing recreation! If we are in such a drought condition that we need to restrict the use of water, then in my opinion, golf courses, lawns, swimming pools, etc should be the first ones restricted, and farmers and ranchers the absolute last. What suggestions do you have? Who in particular can we write to in governmental circles? Jan in CO

[TNHermit]

When I lived in Leadville I got into this. BUt I was as then a right wing crazy person. Colorado water law is a morass of stupidity. Leadville owned absolutely NO water rights. They had to buy it from the Front Range. Aurora I think. Almost everything in the mountains is owned by four cities.
BUt hey isn't it more important for all those liberals in Denver to be able to water their lawn than grow some stupid vegetable
NOt to mention all those Castles up around Vail and Aspen gotta have theirs.
Couple years ago they almost sucked the lakes around Silverthorne dry. The boats were laying on their sides. Had never seen that all the time I was in Colorado.
It was one of the big reasons I moved away. Between the developers and all the left wing wackos the state is about ruined.

IS there anyway the eastern can capture their water from the winter blizzards and such. It would be a big undertaking!

[texican]

I feel for you Westerners, with your water rights laws.

However, in drought years, there ain't enough for everyone, and senior rights get theirs first, unless there ain't any at all... the Rio Grande is a trickle in places...

I read some articles about the South Platte a few weeks ago, and it appeared that farmers close to the river were using more water from their wells than the aquifer could supply, and the river was being diverted... and the farmers were being bought out, apparently willingly, as they saw the handwriting on the wall> having to sink deeper and deeper wells.

Mining the water, farming in a dry region of the country is great, as long as theres plenty of water, but apparently it ain't as plentiful as it once was.

[Marilyn in CO]

Texican, Actually, I am a farmer in the South Platte river Basin and we are NOT an aquifer, the river is a rechargable, drainage for the mountain runoff. It is entirely different than a closed basin. There is absolutely no evidence that our wells have injured the river, in fact, there is documented evidence that the river has been helped by the pumping of the wells. It's all in the website that I posted. Actually all the reservoirs are full at this time and the river flooded last week, but common sense does not rule anymore in this state, not when lawyers are running it.

Jan, my friend, calling the governor's office and asking that the farmer's be allowed to pump this 2007 growing season while the whole thing can be worked out with common sense. Many of us are calling the governor's office every day to make our requests
known. Apparently calling all the legislators isn't much good as they are all looking to the governor for their marching orders. Flooding the governor's office with calls is a start. Our website has a lot of good information. Of course, if you want to come to our meetings at Platteville, I would be glad to tell you the time and date.

<-----raised a dryland farmer in Yuma County.

[foxtrapper]

Originally Posted by texican

I feel for you Westerners, with your water rights laws.

'Tain't simply westerners, all regions have various water rights laws. We've had plenty of fun regarding them here in Maryland. The state has claimed all rights to all waters, surface and ground.

[TNHermit]

Heres a simple map of the SPRB for those interested

http://waterknowledge.colostate.edu/splt_map.htm

[texican]

Marilyn, ya'll are using wells instead of the river water then. At one time I knew all the major aquifers in the country. I know most acquifers (Ogallala) are being mined, discharge is exceeding recharge. I figure it'll all even out in the long run, once we run out of 'easy oil', the acquifers will be so depleted as to be unusable.

Agriculture on the high plains is a risky business, as the acquifers keep getting depleted, and drought years start seeming the norm.

Hope ya'll can weather the storm. I wish I could find that article I read a while back... from the article, it seemed a lot of older farmers were taking the buyouts, as their children had no interest in keeping the farms going... and the farmers saw the handwriting on the walls.

I dealt with my local water issues 7 years ago, by building a reservoir with about ~100 to 150 acre feet of water. If the state of Tx proposes new water regs, my lake will be grandfathered in.

[Cyngbaeld]

In Colorado you do not own the water that falls out of the sky onto your land. It is owned by the state.

It is illegal to put in a roof catchment to your cistern in CO. It is illegal to retain and reuse your grey water because that belongs to the state too.

[Trixie]

Texican, I suspect Texas is in for some problems where water is concerned.

Several years ago, a family member of a state rep told me the state legislature had passed a bill declaring all underground water in Texas to belong to the state. I haven't been able to find out anything about this but I have an inkling it is true.


Our son has land in NE Texas where clean water was once very abundant - just a short time ago. Now many shallow wells have been contaminated by lagoons and run off from dairy and poultry farms. Also, many shallow wells, 40 ft and less, have been destroyed by the coal mining.

This same state rep said the next battles to be waged would be over water in Texas.

I have no notion any action the state takes will really be to conserve water - but to have control. There is big money in fresh water these days. I suspect they want to be able to be in the position to make deals with the water companies.

Also, from the articles I have read and discussed, Mexico has been diverting more than it's agreed-upon share of the water from the Rio Grande. They have been irrigating their farmlands while Texas farmers, down the line, are going out of business.

[Dave S.]

Doesn't Colorado supply a large portion of CAs megafarms with water? Not a sustainable practice if you ask me.


Dave

[tiergarten-CO]

Thanks for posting this. Reading the Ranchland religiously it was mentioned over and over again. it is aweful what is happening here in Colorado. but as long as the city folk have nice green lawns and the golf courses are green we are okay right?
So many here shopping in the grocery store do not give a hoot where their food comes from. SAD!
Kerstin
Tiergarten Acres

www.tiergartenacres.com
Boer Goat Breeder in Colorado
Also selling fun Goat items. Including fun apparel for the kids who show.