Water is life in Colorado
Water is life in Colorado, something we hold sacred. Sacred to our health, to our land, and to our livelihoods. We use it to grow crops and raise livestock that are exported around the world, we use it for our thriving outdoor recreation industry, we use it to live our lives. What we don’t do is use water as a weapon for political games.
So Colorado farmers, ranchers and officials were disappointed when one of our own neighboring governors began making meandering, baseless claims about Colorado’s compliance with the South Platte River Compact, a legally binding water agreement between our two states. And using those baseless claims as a reason to build a canal in Colorado, no less. The compact has existed for nearly 100 years, and in all that time Colorado has never failed to meet our obligations.
Yesterday, I visited the site of this potential canal, and spoke with local farmers and ranchers about what its construction would mean for their land and their livelihoods. These are men and women who have dedicated their lives to agriculture, and have done their part to support our strong economy and industry.
We are also disappointed in the way Nebraska’s Governor has mischaracterized — whether deliberately or ignorantly — Colorado’s locally-driven water planning process. We manage our waters thoughtfully, knowing full well that we are privileged to have seven major river systems that start in our snowy mountains and flow to 18 different states. Colorado manages nine different interstate compacts, along with two interstate decrees and two interstate agreements, and this isn’t something we take lightly.
Instead of stirring up fear, we work with Coloradans on the ground to develop thoughtful project ideas to meet the water needs of our farms, rural communities, cities, and streams. These proposed water projects must then endure a rigorous system of checks and balances including an evaluation of their consistency with existing water compacts, and only a few wellvetted, high- value projects move forward.
Plain and simple, any water project in Colorado is designed and built to comply with our interstate compact obligations.
Colorado and Nebraska have a lot in common. We both cherish our strong agricultural economies, and to drive production, we rely on the use of water to which we are legally entitled. Our development of water from the South Platte River is to support the needs of our economy, not to take water away from hardworking Nebraskans. We never have, and never will encroach on the water rights of another state.
What’s most disappointing is not only the fact that Ricketts is threatening Colorado farmers and ranchers’ water and property, but also that this publicity stunt is not actually helping the Nebraskans he is sworn to ser ve. The Nebraska legislature has already approved more than $ 50 million dollars of taxpayer money for this billion dollar canal to nowhere, when they could be investing in projects that would actually support water development in their state. In Colorado, we responsibly manage taxpayer dollars and build up budgetary reserves.
Whatever the intentions of our neighbor to the east, I want to assure Coloradans that our state will defend our water rights, environment, wildlife and our equitable system of funding multi- benefit water projects to the fullest extent of the law.
Colorado and Nebraska share many of the same challenges and goals, and by working together I know we can help each other succeed. I hope someday soon our friends in Nebraska will rejoin our strong relationship. Until then, we will rely on the knowledge that the South Platte River Compact works well for both Colorado and for Nebraska. So, let’s get back to working together across state lines on real water solutions, so the South Platte River can work for us both for the next century.