RESOLUTION NO. 56-11
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE PROPOSED
RECITALS.
In 2006, the concept of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline also known as the Million Pipeline was first publically discussed. Environmental assessments and other scoping work were completed over the next two years. The project concept is to pump water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in southwestern Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range. The project has been estimated to cost between $7,000,000,000 and $9,000,000,000 or an approximate cost of $4700/acre-foot
.
The Flaming Gorge pipeline would be one of the largest water supply projects with a length of 560 miles. By comparison the Central Arizona project is 336 miles long.
In July 2007, the Colorado River Water Conservation District Board communicated their opposition to the Flaming Gorge Project until certain water supply and Compact issues could be resolved. That opposition is incorporated herein by this reference as if fully set forth.
In July of 2011, the River District Board expressed its continuing concern; the District noted that there are unknown quantities of water available for the Pipeline project and was concerned whether a Colorado water right can be acquired by the project proponents.
On September 14, 2011 the Colorado Water Conservation Board approved a grant for Colorado’s Basin Roundtables to discuss the pros and the cons of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline Project, called the Basin Roundtable Project Exploration Committee. $72,000 was allocated to the effort with an additional $100,000 available if discussions were promising.
Western Slope Roundtable members are participating in the Exploration Committee as are other Front Range Basin members.
Additionally, the Bureau of Reclamation is completing its Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study and has agreed to include the Flaming Gorge Pipeline Project as one possible “model” to supplying water to the Front Range in Colorado, with its attendant costs and benefits.
The Basin Roundtable Exploration Committee effort will not seek consensus on whether or not to build the Flaming Gorge project but rather will examine the issues involved in the project, the challenges and barriers to the project and potential benefits of such a project.
The issues to be discussed include but are not limited to:
• The cost to construct and annual operating expenses.
• Revenues necessary to finance and pay bonded indebtedness for such a project.
• Availability of project water to Colorado under various interstate compacts.
• The Project’s relationship to the 1922 Compact Call under various climate and water supply conditions.
• Impact of the project on other State-wide water development scenarios.
The Basin Roundtable Project Exploration Committee effort is estimated to take twelve months to complete.
Given the estimated cost of the Flaming Gorge Project and the impact the project may have on the delicate legal and practical balance of the State’s water system, the City Council of the City of Grand Junction believes that it is important to complete the Colorado Water Conservation Board funded effort to shed light on the many questions described above; however, the Council opposes any further action on the Project until the Roundtable is complete.
Western Slope water interests need to participate in the study and subsequent discussion of the Flaming Gorge Project in order to protect their own water supply interests and particularly to protect their interests from water supply projects that will not benefit the economy of the Colorado River basin in Colorado.
Therefore, given the significant concerns and the current unknowns, the Grand Junction City Council does hereby state its opposition to the Flaming Gorge Project.
The City Council will reserve final judgment until the findings are presented from the Exploration Committee and the concerns of the Colorado River Water Conservation District Board and other Western Slope interests, including the City’s.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City Council of the City of Grand Junction does hereby state its opposition to the Flaming Gorge Pipeline project and urges the Roundtable to fully, carefully and completely evaluate the project and report their findings.
Dated this 7th day of December, 2011
_________ ________
Tom Kenyon, President of the Council
ATTEST:
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Stephanie Tuin ,City Clerk