Colorado Agriculture Preservation Association Annual Report 2007-2008

 

Board of Supervisors            President Joe Newton, Vice-President Dennis Wieser, Secretary-Treasurer Alan Welp, Robin Liming, Tony Mangus, Bethleen McCall, Clint Nash, Mark Webber

           

                                               

Mission                                     To provide local stakeholders a voice in current basin issues and help to sustain the rural economic community. Including  no involuntary curtailment in the Republican                                                     River Basin until all other viable alternatives are exhausted.

 

Organization

 

Research, education and advocacy are the three principals that CAPA operates on.  CAPA is governed by a board of elected officials. The group is primarily concerned about the economic and social impacts that may occur if wells in the area are involuntarily shut down. CAPA is made up of irrigators, concerned citizens, community organizations and local businesses.  Our members operate on over 300,000 acres and service over 50,000 customers on an annual basis.  Members of the board of supervisors advocate for solutions that will help sustain the rural economic communities that are reasonable and beneficial. CAPA employs lobbyists and attorneys to assist in advocating for members at the state level.  CAPA works to develop and support alternative solutions for compact compliance.

 

 

Year in Review- This section outlines the major efforts CAPA has worked on throughout the past  year.

 

 

First Public Meeting

 

Over 400 residents of the Republican River Basin came together at CAPA’s first public meeting October 1, 2007.   CAPA’s legal counsel Law Resource Planning and Associates, lead counsel, Charles T. Dumars spoke to the people of the basin informing them that our water crisis is not unique and that our opinions do matter.  At the end of the meeting it was apparent that the people of the Republican River Basin were not going to silently lose their water and let their community vanish.  We were ready to advocate for ourselves and create changes in our community to ensure that the basin would have a future.  

 

Write in Campaign on Compact Compliance Rules

Shortly after CAPA’s first public meeting representatives from the Colorado Division of Water Resources hosted five public meetings outlining the Republican River Basin Compact Compliance Rules which included an involuntary curtailment zone (the three mile zone).  CAPA mobilized our members and combined we sent in over 150 letters for public comment on the rules.  Along with members letters our legal council submitted alternative language for the rules backed with hydrologic research from CAPA’s hydrologist John Shoemaker, which would include eliminating the involuntary curtailment while still getting Colorado into compliance.  These efforts have slowed the process down.   

Compact Compliance Pipeline

After learning that other states had used a pipeline to come into compliance it seemed like the idea of a pipeline was a way to insure Colorado could come into and remain in compliance for years.  CAPA went to all of the ground water management districts within the basin to explain the importance of the pipeline and get resolutions to have their representative’s vote for perusing the pipeline as a viable solution.  The RRWCD worked hard to get the best wells in the basin to feed the pipeline.  They also went after a low interest loan to finance it from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.  CAPA worked alongside of the RRWCD supporting the loan with assistance from our lobbyist, a letter campaign and testifying at the hearings for allocation of the funding. 

While there are currently some unresolved issues with the pipeline the CAPA board is confident that the issues will be resolved and the pipeline will be installed and assist the basin in compact compliance. 

Senate Bill 08-28

Senator Greg Brophy presented a bill in the 2008 secession dealing with converting the water held in Bonny Reservoir to in-stream flow.  CAPA supported this bill because it would take over 50,000 acres of irrigated land to shut down to equal the amount of credit Colorado could gain by converting the water rights to in-stream flow.  Also, it would reduce the amount of water the pipeline would need to pump on an annual basis conserving the Ogallala Aquifer.  Members wrote in and signed over 100 letters of support sent to three key participants at the state level, Head of the Senate Agriculture Committee Senator Isgar, Head of the Department of Natural Resources Harris Sherman and Bill Sponsor Senator Greg Brophy. The CAPA board and members testified at several hearings in favor of the bill and also called or emailed all of the members of the Colorado State Senate to help the bill pass.  At the last minute the bill was pulled from consideration.    

 

Working with Legislatures and State Officials

Board members of CAPA held and attended numerous meetings with members of the state legislature and state officials.  Sharing the local perspective helps these officials know that they aren’t just passing rules and bills but they are affecting real people within the Republican River Basin.  Some of the officials met with include State Engineer Dick Wolfe, Head of the Division of Wildlife Tom Remington, Commissioner of Agriculture John Stulp, Senator Isgar, Representative Curry, the Joint Agriculture Committee, Senator Brophy and Representative Gardner.   CAPA also made several requests to meet with Governor Ritter unfortunately he was unable to meet with us.

 

Senior Surface Water Purchase on the North Fork of the Republican

 

In June of 2008 it looked as if ground water users of the basin were headed to court with the Pioneer & Laird Irrigation Ditches.  CAPA hosted an informational meeting on the upcoming litigation.  Fortunately with the intervention of Dick Wolfe and the cooperation of both sides of the lawsuit an agreement was made to purchase the Senior Surface Water.  CAPA was the first organization to develop a resolution in support of the RRWCD leasing the senior surface water from the Yuma County Water Authority (YCWA) after a purchase has been finalized, ground water management districts throughout the basin followed CAPA’s example and adopted resolutions of their own.  CAPA worked with the YCWA and developed some key materials to assist them in informing the public.  Many members of CAPA helped bring the information about Ballot Initiatives 5B & 5C to the public by manning informational booths at many events around the county and doing presentations on the benefits of 5B & 5C to businesses, clubs, and organizations. 

 

Representation of Irrigators

CAPA prides its self on representing ground water users within the Republican River Basin.  Our most significant effort to date is getting Charles T. Dumars, from Law Resource Planning and Associates, on the Colorado “discussions” team.  He represents CAPA’s members and their interests on the Colorado team.  Agencies and governments are the others represented.  In these crucial times the CAPA board recognized that it is imperative that the people of this basin have a seat at the table and a legitimate voice.  Charles Dumars is that voice.  We appreciate the representatives of Colorado for recognizing that CAPA was needed in these talks especially we would like to mention Senator Brophy, the Department of Natural Resources and the Attorney General’s office for allowing CAPA a seat at the table. 

 

 

 

 

 

For the most current information on all of our water issues visit the CAPA website:

coloradoagriculturepreservationassociation.com

 

 

FINANCIAL REPORT

 

Total Income                                      $124,327.67

 

Expenses

            Hydrologist                            $   4,142.74

            Attorney Fees                                    $  45,455.04

            Lobbying                                $  15,335.52

            Operating Expenses              $  12,891.42

 

Balance as of September 30, 2008   $46, 502.95