District Argues Aaron Million’s Newest Development Proposal is Speculative in Nature, Would Negatively Impact Colorado’s Compact Entitlements
Glenwood Springs, CO – The Colorado River Water Conservation District has submitted a formal protest (attached) to an application for a trans-mountain diversion water right permit filed by Aaron Million and Water Horse Resources, LLC.
Million filed for the permit with Utah’s Division of Water Rights for the project, which is proposed to divert 55,000 acre-feet of water per year from the Green River near the Colorado state line. The Green River water would then be piped roughly 500 miles north and east through Wyoming, then south to Colorado’s Front Range.
The River District has opposed past diversion proposals by Million, who previously attempted to secure Green River rights for a controversial project that would have pumped water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, or a point upstream in Wyoming, to Colorado’s Eastern Slope.
“This new application suffers from many of the same problems as his previous proposals but presents a number of new problems and interstate legal issues as well.” said Peter Fleming, General Counsel for the Colorado River District.
The River District’s protest points out that the application is speculative, and that “no specific beneficial use or need has been identified for the project other than a general reference to future water demands in Colorado.”
“This is a clear case of water speculation,” said Andy Mueller, General Manager of the Colorado River District. “Development of this resource in this manner would not only harm existing Western Slope water users but would impact the ability of the River District and the State of Colorado to plan for and develop future water resources as well.”
According to the District’s objection, “the application is vague and lacks sufficient detail to form the basis of a recognized water right, particularly given the large volume of water claimed and the complex legal and accounting problems raised by the application. The application should be denied on this basis alone.”
Utah’s Board of Water Resources and Division of Water Resources have also submitted objections to the proposal. Those objections urge that the application be denied for a variety of reasons, many similar to those raised by the River District.
Review Colorado River District’s Protest of Water Rights – Click Here
