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DonInDenver
04-13-2009, 12:48 PM
If you are one of the many anglers who love fishing Flaming Gorge and the Green River below it, you need to educate yourself on the private water grab going on that, if permitted, will change those fisheries forever!! AND NOT FOR THE BETTER! This project would be a disaster for those world class fisheries!

Please note that there are public scoping meetings set in Utah and Wyoming and three meetings this month in Colorado. Show up and voice your opinions!--

-April 14, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Green River High School, 1615 Hitching Post Drive, Green River, WY.

-April 15, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Uintah High School, 1880 West 500 North, Vernal, UT.

-April 16, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Laramie High School, 1257 North 11th Street, Laramie, WY.


-April 20, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Fossil Ridge High School, 5400 Ziegler Road, Fort Collins, CO.

-April 21, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., West High School, 951 Elati Street, Denver, CO.

-April 22, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Risley Middle School, 625 N. Monument Ave., Pueblo, CO.

More info at----
https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/od-tl/eis/rwsp.noi-scoping-pn.20-mar-09.doc

https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/od-tl/eis/rwsp.agency-letter-project-map.9-mar-09.pdf

I'll post more background on this when I get time. Thanks to FISH for emailing me the info on the upcoming meetings. I'm posting this on Colorado boards as well..

These snakes need to be stopped!

DonInDenver
04-13-2009, 12:52 PM
More background info on this project---

From Forbes.com:

Associated Press
Corps to study Wyoming-Colorado water pipeline
By BEN NEARY , 04.12.09, 05:10 PM EDT

Environmentalists and others question why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans a formal study of a Colorado entrepreneur's plan to build a 400-mile water pipeline from Wyoming to Colorado's bustling Front Range without knowing who would use the water or where it will go.

Aaron Million, a Fort Collins, Colo., businessman, has been pushing for years to develop the pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on Wyoming's Green River. The Corps of Engineers plans meetings this month in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah to get public comment on what an environmental study should address.

Critics say it's impossible to evaluate the project without knowing who the end users are. And if Million has reached any firm deals to supply water, he's not saying.

Million says the privately funded pipeline could deliver water to Colorado within five years at an estimated cost of $3 billion or less. He said he anticipates no trouble raising the money.

Million says the pipeline could carry up to 250,000 acre feet of water a year. That's more than Denver Water supplies annually to the metro Denver area.

The pipeline would follow Interstate 80 east across Wyoming, possibly bringing some water to cities in eastern Wyoming, before carrying most of it south to Colorado.

"We've spent the last three years with one of the best water teams in the U.S. looking for snake bites, or fatal flaws, and we have found none," Million said, emphasizing he's not interested in building any project that's not environmentally sound.

Rena Brand, project manager for the Corps of Engineers in Littleton, Colo., said Million's application for a permit to draw water triggered her agency's decision to proceed with the detailed environmental study. She said the Corps has retained a consultant to do the work and that Million will cover the cost.

Brand said the study could take up to five years. She said it will evolve to include issues such as how delivering the water to particular areas might affect them.

"The Corps is not making any preliminary decisions about this project," Brand said.

Brand said it's unusual for a private party to undertake such a large water project. Her agency used to do such projects itself in years past, but "not so much anymore," she said.

Million doesn't propose to pay for the water he plans to move. Rather, he's relying on Colorado's rights to the water under the Colorado River compacts - agreements among western states that spell out how to manage the river and its tributaries, including the Green River.

Colorado law generally allows anyone to take unappropriated water and put it to use in the state. The river compacts, meanwhile, allow water to be diverted in one state and used in another.

Alexandra L. Davis, assistant director for water at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said that all water in the state belongs to the state. She said people can get a vested right to the water as long as they continue to put it to use.

"It would be Mr. Million's water right that he would then sell the use of that to other end users," Davis said.

There's still some question of how much water Colorado is still entitled to take from the Colorado River system.

Davis's office wrote to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in December in regard to Million's project. The state informed the federal agency that it is in the process of determining how much water is available to the state under the river compacts. It told the bureau that any determination that water is available for Million's project should comport with results of the pending state study.

Environmentalists say they see problems with such a massive trans-basin water diversion. They say piping water across the Continental Divide threatens to harm fish and riparian species in the Colorado River system.

"Obviously the cottonwood areas could be affected," said Steve Jones, watershed protection program attorney for the Wyoming Outdoors Council in Lander. "That could affect raptors, and other avian species that might depend on the fish. Then it would lower flows, so the fish species could be affected too. We're worried about all those ripple effects from lower flows."

Some in Colorado bristle, too, at the prospect of seeing a private entity control such a huge volume of water.

Frank Jaeger, district manager with the Parker Water and Sanitation District, said his district, which serves about 45,000 people, was unable to get Million to spell out clearly what his water prices and terms of delivery would be.

Jaeger said his district is meeting with entities in Colorado and Wyoming trying to start a similar, competing project.

"What we're looking at is a project of what actual cost of development and delivery (would be), no profit involved," Jaeger said of the prospect of getting government entities to build a pipeline. "A public project of that magnitude is a much better way of going about it."

Jaeger questioned how the Corps of Engineers can prepare a meaningful environmental impact statement evaluating Million's project without knowing where the water would go.

"I'm very fixated on the issue of speculation," Jaeger said. "With no end users and no description of how the water will be used, I've got a problem with the Corps even dealing with that. Why the hell they're doing an EIS is even beyond me."

Million said his company has a "protectable interest" in the pipeline idea, meaning that no one else has a right to build one.

He declined to say whether his company, Million Conservation Resource Group, has reached any deals to supply water.

"We're continuing to negotiate water supply contracts both in Wyoming and Colorado, and that's really all I want to say about that right now," Million said. "There's such a demand-supply shortfall in Colorado right now this project will meet a portion of that demand-supply imbalance, but not all of it."

Million said his firm has retained Cheyenne lawyer Steve Freudenthal, brother of Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, and former Wyoming state engineer Jeff Fassett to develop the pricing system for the water.

Harry LaBonde, deputy Wyoming state engineer, said Million filed a permit to take water out of the Green River with the state in 2007.

Gov. Freudenthal, meanwhile, said he's not enthusiastic about the pipeline project.

"I'm not a big fan of it, in part because I've never been a big fan of trans-basin diversions," Freudenthal said.

"However, they properly filed with the state engineer," Freudenthal said. "Their argument obviously is that this is Colorado's water. The compact appears to allow for this, so I guess I'd have to say that at this stage I've been skeptically watching it unfold."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled the following scoping meetings on the project:

_ April 14, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Green River High School, 1615 Hitching Post Drive, Green River, Wyo.

_ April 15, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Uintah High School, 1880 West 500 North, Vernal, Utah.

_ April 16, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Laramie High School, 1257 North 11th Street, Laramie, Wyo.

_ April 20, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Fossil Ridge High School, 5400 Ziegler Road, Fort Collins, Colo.

_ April 21, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m. West High School, 951 Elati Street, Denver, Colo.

_ April 22, 2009, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Risley Middle School, 625 N. Monument Ave., Pueblo, Colo

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/04/12/ap6281716.html

DonInDenver
04-13-2009, 12:52 PM
From the Sublette Examiner (Pinedale, WY):

EIS planned for Flaming Gorge pipeline
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 1st, 2009
BY: Joy Ufford

Green River water is being targeted by a Colorado entrepreneur who wants to pipe his state’s unappropriated water 560 miles from Flaming Gorge along I-80 to southeastern Wyoming and the Front Range.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) recently published its notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposal by Aaron Million, of the Million Conservation Resource Group (MCRG), to build the proposed “Regional Watershed Supply Project” (RWSP) and pull about 250,000 acre-feet of new water a year to his customers.

The planned EIS will “analyze the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of a proposed water-supply project in Wyoming and Colorado,” states the ACE notice.

The Green, which springs from its source in the Wind River Range, apparently has as-yet unused water available for both Wyoming and Colorado. It is the Colorado River’s major tributary and

“The water would be obtained from the Green River Basin as part of the unused portion of water allocated to the states of Wyoming and Colorado under the Upper Colorado River Compact,” the ACE notice states.

The Upper Colorado River Compact of 1948 allocated 50,000 acre-feet a year to Arizona, then apportioned 51.75 percent to Colorado, 14 percent to Wyoming, 11.25 percent to New Mexico and 23 percent to Utah.

Million’s private water-development company, MCRG, would build, own and operate the pipeline and facilities for an estimated $4 billion.

“The potential water users for the proposed project would include agriculture, municipalities and industries in southeastern Wyoming and the Front Range of Colorado,” the ACE notice states. “In Wyoming, approximately 25,000 acre-feet of water would be delivered annually to users in the Platte River Basin. The remaining 225,000 acre-feet of water would be delivered annually to the South Platte River and Arkansas basins in Colorado.”

It also explains Million has proposed diversion with two “water withdrawal facilities” – one on the east side of Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the other about 200 feet downstream from Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge on the Green’s east bank.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would have to give Million a contract to withdraw water directly from Flaming Gorge and he would also need federal approval to cross public lands with the pipeline.

The proposal also includes a water storage treatment reservoir near the Green River intake system, a water pipeline from 72 to 102 inches in diameter and about 560 miles long, a regulating reservoir at the pipeline’s western end, about 16 natural gas-powered pump stations along the pipeline route, temporary and permanent access roads and three water-storage/flow-regulation reservoirs (at Lake Hattie west of Laramie and the proposed Cactus Hill and T-Cross reservoirs in Colorado).

Outlet structures at each reservoir would have water treatment facilities, onsite transformers, overhead power lines and water delivery systems to his water users, it says.

Wyoming permits

Million applied to the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office (SEO) for two permits, 15 months ago, which are still under review and will likely bring about public hearings and comment periods, according to State Engineer Pat Tyrrell.

One is to divert water from the Green and the other is to use his proposed pipeline for Wyoming water use, Tyrrell said. The water sold to Wyomingites would count against the state’s apportionment, he added, just as the water piped to Colorado customers would count toward that state’s historic allocation.

While the SEO permit to withdraw water does not require an environmental analysis or public hearings, the proposal is sensitive enough that the SEO plans to schedule meetings later this summer or fall, he said.

“They were told from early on we would probably have hearings because of the size, nature and potential controversy that surrounds (the diversion and pipeline proposed),” he said.

Million has proposed four points for withdrawal to the SEO – three in the Green and one on the banks of Flaming Gorge.

“We’re getting a lot of questions,” Tyrrell said. “There are concerns – can it be done without hindering Wyoming’s remainder of (its) portion?”

Wyoming’s role is choosing whether or not to grant the two requested permits ‘is “only a smaller part of the much larger approval process,” he said. “We would be one domino in a much larger string.”

Even assuming the SEO approved his permits, Tyrrell added, “That’s no green light for (Million).”

The concept is “allowable” – but the project’s size is very “unusual,” he said.

__________________________________________________ ________________________

There are more articles at:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070413/ai_n19018924/

binthere50
04-18-2009, 07:30 PM
This situation WILL end up in court I assure all of you on that. My advice, I have some experience with this, is too round up the troops, get the best attorney that money can buy( a fisherman attorney), get a foundation or some
kind of group alliance organized that can raise money, (lots of it) and start fighting this guy...NOW. Every single loophole, crack in this guys armor, legal
reason to prove that this is wrong, illegal, and damaging, must be exposed.
Every single study this guy had done, environmental or otherwise, must be challenged ASAP!. All State Agency's, Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Groups,
Fishing Clubs, Federal Fish and Wildlife Agency's, etc, etc..should be brought on board to fight this act of piracy, and soon. This will take a dedicated effort by every single person who enjoys this fishery, every businessman who makes a living there, everyone and anyone who has an interest in seeing this defeated.
I live on the Coast of California, and have seen a large part of our fishing rights stripped away before anyone re-acted. Now we know different. Although this situation is different by way of motive, we have learned that these matters end up being "legal" issues, not right or wrong, just a matter of what the courts will say in regards to whether it is "legal" or not. All of you that read this hear me now...this Aaron Million guy has tens of millions tied up in this deal, and I bet that not one penny is HIS money. Do you think his group of investor's will just let all their money go away because of some kokanee and lake trout?..Hah!...Think again my friends....This guy is smart and he will not stop trying to do this unless a Court of Law stops him...100% guaranteed I assure you. Every single fishing group, club, organization in the Western U.S. should know about this and NOW. This is going to come down
to who has enough money and balls to stop this guy.You need Senators, Congressman, Governors, ANYONE who will help to start now on this. This guy
will probably get his way in the end, unless they can re-coup their money some other way or hit a dead end by way of a legal termination of the deal.
So know this, from now on fishing Flaming Gorge is going cost money, because if you don't raise enough funds to fight this effectively, you will lose.
How many people fish the Gorge every year?...20,000, 50,000, ? more..less? If every person who fishes there coughs up $200.00 bucks a year to fight this legally, every year, you might have a chance.
Ask yourself this....The "Save Flaming Gorge Reservoir Foundation"
collects a couple of million bucks by way of donations each year from fishermen, environmental groups, Green Peace hippies, anyone!.....This would be a formidable opponent to this guy, and he might just back down..Then again, do nothing and you might have this fishery for another 4-5 years..
But after that it will be gone....I'm willing to donate $1000.00 right now
Who will match that?..10,000 people matching that gives the "group" a million dollars...Get this started...any attorneys out there reading this?
Rocky Mountain Tackle...Jared, right?...Do you want to stay in business?
Who do you know that can start this process....Time to sack up Brothers,
or get castrated before you even know..fired up......Mike...New Member