(“Who Owns Our Land and Water” continues from National Politics page)
I am sure that farmers on the Western Slope of Colorado are concerned about the overuse of the Colorado River and the drought issues. Lake Mead hit its lowest level on record on 2021, as did the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. – Lake Powell. Federal water shortage limits will be coming soon and I don’t believe that foreign countries really care about our water issues. With Saudi Arabia raising alfalfa and cartels raising marijuana the Colorado River is being sucked dry. The farmers on the eastern plains should be concerned as well. Aquifers provide the only source of drinking water and irrigation in many areas of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas. Kansas has seen nearly all springs and streams gone dry and most wells have dwindled and many emptied. Some would blame the conservative rural farmers, but most Plains farmers only scrape by or lose money growing irrigated crops. Corporate profiteering is a major driver of depletion. Connie Owen, the director of the Kansas Water Office said, |
“Corporate profiteering is a major driver of depletion. Big industries, their shell companies, and distant investors have displaced many family farms here over the past three decades. Absentee owners control about 60 percent of the land around my family’s farm. Some of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants, mega-dairies, and ethanol factories have moved in. They pay nothing for the groundwater they use other than the cost of pumping it. Their profits are exported to shareholders and managers far away. When one area goes dry, such businesses just move to another, while local residents are left to face the growing bills.”
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Kansas set up “groundwater management districts” to allow communities to decide their water issues, but only those with 40 acres or more could vote, which means the people allowed to decide the fate of the Ogallala Aquifer include the same producers and corporations that benefit from draining it.
Nebraska is now considering building a $500 million canal in Colorado to divert water from the South Platte River to Nebraska for farms, cities and other users. They believe that the fast-growing Denver metro area will consume the water and Federal cutbacks on water could force the release of more water from Lake McConaughy, a major reservoir of the North Platte River.
Renewable Water Resources, a water developer in Douglas county that own approximately 18,000 acres in SLV, is proposing a plan to sell San Luis Valley aquifer water to Douglas county. For an initial payment of $20 million Douglas County can become a partner of Renewable Water Resources in its plan to export approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water per year (interesting that there are estimates as high as 34,000 acre-feet) from the San Luis Valley. The proposed $600 million pipe project would tap 25 new groundwater wells in the northern part of San Luis Valley.
Nebraska is now considering building a $500 million canal in Colorado to divert water from the South Platte River to Nebraska for farms, cities and other users. They believe that the fast-growing Denver metro area will consume the water and Federal cutbacks on water could force the release of more water from Lake McConaughy, a major reservoir of the North Platte River.
Renewable Water Resources, a water developer in Douglas county that own approximately 18,000 acres in SLV, is proposing a plan to sell San Luis Valley aquifer water to Douglas county. For an initial payment of $20 million Douglas County can become a partner of Renewable Water Resources in its plan to export approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water per year (interesting that there are estimates as high as 34,000 acre-feet) from the San Luis Valley. The proposed $600 million pipe project would tap 25 new groundwater wells in the northern part of San Luis Valley.
Senate Bill 28 would set up a fund to finance groundwater reductions in the Republican River basin, in northeastern Colorado, and the Rio Grande River basin in the San Luis Valley. The bill intends to help pay for groundwater limitations in the Republican River and to boost the sustainability of the large, confined aquifer in the Rio Grande River basin, the same aquifer that RWR intends to tap for its project. Rio Grande portion of the bill would pay farmers not to pump water in order to maintain the aquifer close to 1976 levels.
In addition, a $50 million “community fund” would be developed under the RWR proposal to assist local communities with schools, broadband or food banks, senior services or job training. A separate pool of money, about $68 million, would pay farmers and ranchers who agree to sell their water rights, known in agriculture circles as “buy and dry.”
In addition, a $50 million “community fund” would be developed under the RWR proposal to assist local communities with schools, broadband or food banks, senior services or job training. A separate pool of money, about $68 million, would pay farmers and ranchers who agree to sell their water rights, known in agriculture circles as “buy and dry.”
Not surprisingly, people in SLV are not happy about this proposal. This southern area of Colorado is one of the driest areas and farmers have already worked together to reduce usage of water. It is really a fight between wealthy land developers and small farmers. If you would like to hear the issues in San Luis Valley watch this short video. These water issues are the result of uncontrolled immigration, reckless planning and land development, corporation farming, and foreign farming. This doesn’t feel right to me. Then you add to this that US billionaires are buying up farmland as good investments and are starting “new” ways of farming that are “green” inspired. What exactly does Zuckerberg or Bill Gates know about farming, ranching, aquifers, land management or love for the land? Just another hobby, I guess. |
Karla Shriver from RGWCD on Vimeo. |
Suggestions? Establish an agricultural policy “think tank”. Establish a farming lobby group to represent small farmer concerns in local and national government. Support each other and support farmers. Stay informed. What are your local senators and representatives doing? Write letters or send emails to encourage preservation of water rights. Report large illegal growth of marijuana. Plan to vote for people who support farmers and ranchers. If you have ideas, send them in. We will print them.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.
Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully
to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the
Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
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