Background
·
On December 31, 1942, Nebraska,
Kansas and Colorado signed the Republican River
Compact.
· On May 26, 1998, Kansas filed a complaint in the United States Supreme Court claiming that Nebraska was in violation of the Compact.
·
Colorado was joined in the
lawsuit because it was a signatory to the Compact.
· On December 15, 2002, Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado agreed on a Final Settlement Stipulation, which was approved by the Supreme Court on May 19,2003.
Click here to read the entire settlement agreement
Click here to read the executive summary of the settlement
· July 1, 2003 the Republican River Compact Administration was finalized. Over six months after the states agreed to use accounting from the model to gauge compliance. Click here to see the Model
·
The Final Settlement Stipulation
provides that, beginning in 2003, Compact accounting will
be done on a five (5) year rolling average.
o
The first 5-year period ends
on December 31, 2007.
· Each year since 2003, Colorado has exceeded its Compact allocation by an average of 11,028 acre-feet of water per year (af/y).
·
In addition to voluntary land
retirement, the Colorado Office of the State Engineer
promulgated the Rules, which were released on September
24, 2007. The
Rules are intended to increase
Compact deliveries by reducing water consumption in
Colorado.
About CAPA
The Colorado Agriculture Preservation Association was formed because of the current situation with the Republican River Compact, settlement, and model. The group is primarily concerned about the economic and social impacts that may occur if wells in the area are shut down. CAPA is made up of irrigators, concerned citizens, and local businesses that support agriculture. Our members operate on over 295,000 acres and service over 40,000 customers on an annual basis.
CAPA is currently pursuing a 501c5
non-profit designation.
CAPA will
research, educate, lobby, and take legal action, if necessary, on
water-related issues on behalf of all stakeholders in the area.
Mission Statement :
To provide local stakeholders a voice in current basin issues and help to sustain the rural economic community.
What CAPA wants:
No forced well shutdowns in the Republican River Basin until
all other viable alternatives are
exhausted.
Research - Educate - Advocate
Develop & support alternative solutions for compliance
Educate the public on current basin issues.
Work with all partners including individuals, businesses, elected
officials, and organizations to
sustain our rural economic
community.
Unite the people to speak as one voice to those who have the power
to influence our future.
·
Play
a prominent role in the rule making process by offering additions &
changes to the rules, implement a letter writing
campaign,
educate elected officials on the hydraulic and economic impact of
the draft rules, and utilize hydrologic research to
challenge some aspects of the rules.
·
Educate local, state, and federal
representatives on the issues facing the
Republican River Basin.
·
Assist and encourage elected
representatives in passing
legislation that is in the best interest of the Republican
River Basin.
·
Encourage Federal Delegates to obtain
additional funding for voluntary well
retirement by raising per/ac payment rates through programs
like EQIP and CREP.
·
Work with engineers and hydrologists to come up with viable
alternatives for compact compliance.
·
Work with the Republican River Water
Conservation District to install a compact compliance
pipeline in a timely manner.
·
Cooperate with other organizations to work toward alternatives to
well curtailments.
·
Advocate for reasonable basin wide
conservation measures for long term
sustainability of the aquifer.
·
Educate the public on current basin issues with informational
meetings, news articles, radio addresses, website access, personal
contacts, and through mailed updates.
What has CAPA done lately? To find out see our January Newsletter
Ready to become a member? Click here for a copy of the membership form
Republican River Basin of Colorado Map
