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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.13.80 Letter from Cecil Andrus Secretary of InteriorJOHN 0. MUSICK, JR. STEPHEN T. WILLIAMSON ALAN E. SCHWARTI LOYAL E. LEAVENWORTH JOSEPH A. COPE SUE ELLEN HARRISON WILLIAM T. SMITH, JR. KEVIN L. PATRICK JAMES 5. LOCHHEAD ROBERT W. WIGINGTON RICHARD M. FOSTER. JR. iv'USICK, WILLIAMSON, SCHWAR 1Z, LEAVENWORTH & COPE, P. C. ATTORNEYS AT LAW February 13, 1980 Glenwood Springs The Honorable Cecil D. Andrus Secretary of the Interior United States Department of the Interior 18th and C Street, N.W. - Room 6151 Washington, D. C. 20240 Dear Mr. Andrus: 75 MANHATTAN DRIVE P. O. BOX 4570 BOULDER, COLORADO 80306 TELEPHONE (303, x99 -3990 (COLOI 1 -800 332.2140 F 4 197 ;F DEL%, ^,EY J ; +I�JrJj, -� �nLC OMB GRAND AVENUE . 0. DRAWER 2030 SPRINGS. COLORADO 81601 PHONE 1303, 945.2261 L011-800 332 -6955 On behalf of the City of Aspen, Colorado, and the County of Pitkin, Colorado, I would like to comment on the issue of the sale of water from Ruedi Reservoir, a component of the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project, in western Colorado. It is our understanding that the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) recently transmitted a letter advising the United States that the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) would not sell Ruedi Reservoir water to parties pursuant to sub - repayment contracts, thereby requesting the execution of a repayment contract directly with the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth; we find it astonishing that this inference would be conveyed to the United States by ARCO. Counsel for the CRWCD has recently requested the renegotiation of an option agreement with the United States to enable that entity to determine demand for Ruedi Reservoir water. Aspen and Pitkin County offer their support that the proper entity to market Ruedi Reservoir water to western Colorado water users is the CRWCD. Aspen and Pitkin County strongly believe that Ruedi Reservoir water should be marketed by the CRWCD after appropriate hydrologic and environmental studies are prepared which would ensure a compatible use of Ruedi for on -site recreational and off -site beneficial uses. We are confident that counsel for the CRWCD by its recent correspondence concerning the ARCO correspondence would agree in Aspen's and Pitkin County's position. ML!,C1CK,. WILLIAMSON, SCHWARTZ, LEAVENWORTH & COPE, The Honorable Cecil D. Andrus February 13, 1980 Page 2 Sincerely yours, MUSICK, WILLIAMSON, SCHWARTZ, LEAVENWORTH & COPE, P. C. By evin L. Patrick KLP /j cc: The Honorable James Johnson The Honorabe William Armstrong The Honorable Gary Hart The Honorable Nancy Dick, Lt. Governor, State of Colorado Mr. Joe D. Hall, Regional Director, WPBS Mr. Harris Sherman, Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources Board of County Commissioners, County of Pitkin City Council, City of Aspen Ronald W. Stock, Esq., City Attorney, City of Aspen Sandra M. Stuller, Esq., County Attorney, County of Pitkin Mr. J. William McDonald, Director, CWCB Mr. kiomas Evans, USFS nneth Balcomb, Esq.