The URL can be used to link to this page

Browse Search

Home My WebLink About20061331.tiff RESOLUTION RE: DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY AND AUTHORIZE CHAIRMAN TO SIGN ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WHEREAS,the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS,in 2006,two events have worked to cause an emergency situation for farmers in the South Platte River Basin in Weld County,those being below average snowfall since January and below average precipitation in Weld County this Spring, and the refusal by the Colorado State Engineer in May, 2006, to allow 449 alluvial wells to continue to withdraw water for irrigation, and WHEREAS,under Colorado Water Law,the alluvial wells must provide water to the South Platte River in the form of senior water rights to replace the water they consume, and WHEREAS,in very dry years, the wells must replace more water than in average years; however, in the same dry years,it becomes much more difficult to obtain replacement supplies, and well owners who cannot meet the replacement obligations are forbidden from pumping, and WHEREAS,based upon the early 2006 snowpack levels,many well owners purchased seed and other inputs,prepared the fields,and planted;however, because of the lack of precipitation,the NRCS Streamflow Forecast Map for May,2006,issued by the office of the Colorado State Engineer, forecasts stream flow to 50 to 69 percent of average for the South Platte River Basin and the lack of spring rains have left fields dry and necessitating the senior South Platte Ditches to place a call for water much earlier than in a normal year, and WHEREAS,as a result, no water is available for diversion by well owners,who rely upon the opportunity to store water during the runoff for later release during the irrigation season as replacement water, and the unexpected extremely dry conditions experienced in Spring,2006 are the principal factor in the State Engineer's decision to curtail well pumping, and WHEREAS,the 449 affected wells serve over 25,000 acres of productive farm land, with many of the farms being irrigated principally or exclusively by well water, or being irrigated by well water as a supplement at those times when surface water ditches produce less than is needed to support a crop, and WHEREAS,the result is that production from the affected farms will be negligible, inputs already invested will be lost, and many farm owners and operators will be unable to meet existing obligations, with significant numbers of bankruptcies and foreclosures being anticipated, and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 24-32-2101, C.R.S., et. seq. (the "Colorado Disaster Emergency Act of 1992"), and Title VI of PL 93-288, as amended, The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,Weld County may qualify for Federal Disaster Relief as long as the Board declares that there exists in Weld County a disaster emergency. 2006-1331 BC0036 CCU: gQ, �imiti amm4331 t dOS T.. A, 4) AiJ, in O1 GOT, P/4, Lc,Sim 6�-t l RE: DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY PAGE 2 NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, that a state of disaster emergency is in effect within Weld County, Colorado. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVEDby the Board that the Chairman be, and hereby is, authorized to sign any and all documents for the purpose of defining and communicating the existence of said disaster emergency. The above and foregoing Resolution was,on motion duly made and seconded,adopted by the following vote on the 10th day of May, A.D., 2006. t OARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LD • NTY, COLORADO ATTEST: ,On n �� I s G -el_.,r; . eile, Chair Weld County Clerk to the Boa l s,,,7[1.)-74,, ,,,,- USED Vl.� i (4 cc".' 'avid E. Long, Pro-Tem BY: / Duty Cle to the Board �� Wil li `am H. Jerke APPROVED AS TO FORM: \C (� Vil\,r �� Robert D. Masden // ) ounty A t ey Glenn V d ', Date of signature: >>L5h 2006-1331 BC0036 GREATER DENVER 7 TONIA TWICHELL, CITY EDITOR, 303.892.5201, E-MAIL: METRO@ROCKYMOUNTAINNEWS.COM CI ■ Y t xa! to l - Farmersea in , I SAY WHAT? 8s were ling the past La . er ,LO aver ac OaG mitering device Growers mop brows - - -- - - - sh, Ibetrackedby - '1 tracked after state edict ME to shut down wells u1 nn de: erd Smith d ByJ PI ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS t l The state ordered more than 400 _ 1 - powerful irrigation wells shut down ,_T " - -- --- _ -: Pe week to protect the South � ,�,„ �.-, _ � � { d Platte River, triggering a crisis for ,- _, >_-. ,« _ „ " ' 1` ha onvicted about 200 farms from Brighton to ... - ,. K st an electronic Fort Morgan. i `-• 4 F M 3 set "It's the toughest decision I've ev- �" Y °� on to prove their k ,- 3 a , I er had to make," said State Engi- ; , ,[g also killed a bill neer Hal Simpson, Colorado's top "'7"^ s,;; : 'echangedthe water regulator. , . 4,41--1411"$ arm operation" Farmers who've already planted o , ne tax this year say they stand to lose hun y•,- - .� - A. x include the dreds of thousands of dollars as a re - - h " etc - profit of suit of Simpson's ruling.The decree , ...:$ _ fi a%a,, a --. IIforicrdtural may mean bankruptcy for some , +.,,. f 7 t ' -* "` But others,such as La Salle potato - n •s m„,� . % ,; xa Ir - grower Harry Strohauer, are gear ,,,--- t, s= ., '^x• s ingupforbattle. - . i hauer said. -. �: - -- ' Ira .* * a- s" - zs. :ah?a Strohauer is losing the use of 14 - � ,� �, �, � ..�� . wells that normally irrigate 1,100 1 t, ' `°-"" 't." - .A ' �. '� acres of potatoes and onions.He's in '' ' .s " ` - :-..f4-6;!•:".;:t,.. :::,,1,1. _ E4. hes vested$700,000 In seed and fertilizer -_'- �"" - So far this spring. TODDHEISLER/ROCHY MOONIAIN NEwS "To get hit with this ruling after Richard Becker,a La Salle fanner and rancher,chases a bull into a pen Tuesday after it was vaccinated.The.. we've said.planted is ludicrous,"Stro- Ds hauer state of Colorado has ordered more than 400 imgation wells—including Becker's—to be shut down to protect the A spokesman for Gov.Bill Owens South Platte River,leaving some 200 farms high and dry. V press said the state may declare an emer- gency in the counties affected by the shutdown. Platteuow trouble 6Y U5 But the shutdown was precipitat- South i�la�tte irrigation wells turned off I-low V Y ed by a new state law that requires More than 400 Irrigation weili used by fanners are being shut down farmers who use deep irrigation because they can't meet the requirements of a new law designed to protect can people wells—which draw down the aqui- the South Platte River.The irrigation wells rely on the same shallow aquifer got started fer that also nourishes the river—to that helps supply the river. 'lie With replace that water. that takes , The law is meant to stabilize the - - gp _t;, W The crisis in the South Platte Riv- riverbyreducingtheimpactofdeep LhRiMER I Ruler . DGWI K er basin took root more than 70 a bumper wells. t ? WELD = years ago, when hundreds of farm The law was passed after the 2002 raE G 'i 9 LQOAN families from Brighton to Fort Mor- pcplaln. drought, when farmers who relied "a„ I ' * MORGAN 1 gan started digging wells in a shal- _ F b% t low aquifer that also supplies the riv- kn,0-Denver,on the solely on the river's surface water for �_.. ; lning nuanced issues irrigation saw their fields burn up, , Ma•4 °B iS er. while well-dependent farmers con- GRAND dE ao.L)E '-_;t4/-1,41--- ; Morph ,I i Water engineering was in its infan- tinued irrigating. .ecy,and state agriculture and water SOU RE OUT Surface-water farmers and some _ officials encouraged the drilling, iOMEWHERE t - - cr -. t Ams ` SHNOTON hopeful that the wells would ched cities successfully sued the for .� jmthej e river. the new law, well-depen- r cREER r !°"! naAPAHI3 - drought-proofseg the lush, irrigated allowing the deep wells to harm the cLE?+ linthejaekpot � K( � --- '--` Mghplainsregion. irticketS JEtFERS(JN 'l No one understood back then numbers to win dent farmers were given several "' °out=Asj ELeERT .: LINCOLN .-g that the wells were pulling water years to find additional water sup- £ - from the same aquifer that helped , a efour was sold In , RAS' _ e - O SOUTH PLATTE„ _ supply the river. By 1969, the sci- pfies,eitherby entpngwaserleases .. YRIVER BASIN tlingto the or with permanent purchases of wa- to EL Paso V = AGRIou TmiAL LAND ence was clear. The wells were de- pleting tOrY• ter. i ELLaR-._' INBt1s/NIN2oo3 theriver.Thestatebeganre- g numbers:12, In 2002, roughly 5,000 irrigation -- qulring farmers to put back into the 138(the wells were operated in the South source:USCis = CHARLES CHAMBERLIN/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS river some of what their wells had ps27) Platte basin. Under the new law, drawn down. - more than 1,500 have already been Under the new law,farmers must shut down,while the users of several put about 80 percent of the total wa- Ocal news as it hundred others have developed new tR La Salle r Sa s he might t lose his opera tion without wells to :_ a terthey pump from the ground back fare t a f _-into the river.Previously,their obli- waterplans that allow them to legal- grow oats tip water to the cattle on his 640-acre spread.9A ly operate their wells. gation had been as low as 5 percent e But Simpson's ruling signals that - - - . , _ . _ in some years. time is up for farmers who have ill Get the hews as it breaks on this story and many more at InNews.com RockyMountalnNews.ebm. JerdSmith ��-- -�^- I Flip to WELLS on 8A _ — i 1 iji LN F o "r -+ rw s: rz,en en m!, O an° $ /'� KF fie` Q dam 76' o44.20m. is . QC7 m w- - aine 0 I I I li±i 0 �'�' � E 3' �e erc Why' ' 'A •!I"`v LL z 0 Q �C ti E m LLWas H5V W corn � _- 0 �` , ¢ �0 QSA2H �f=> a' 8 � woa°aaPA0 C t" �WF-` LE A0- 0 n m°m ©3 �g : WWxcLucsimow C � gFp �dLOQc J +�.L(r=�_ 't Oo, nd �' : ��F' GRaP1am ."' 5 - (.5.:(..;:x iA je6 ' = �� a � `V cc D m�wmM �' li(n33LLa� �« ,� +, � ,p a..y.f p- J 3 rte_ �� ' �„t,< al= O <� 1 , --_. Ix: <- < - r >>,w ❑ J rs .C .8 m 6"6'° P, Oyp .C � d aai .ycN g g y'l: o c.,4 gtH Py'y R-'-- I-- 4". .,.. .. . r:y //�� ,� cis au MI � a.ycsa. o.3 >'ma X33 r° . r.,-0>g °' '�aD+ >' roy a �C✓y U ❑m . 4L.,obea C .. aCU Fv ybq H q. pccdx 3" I Up �I h mwNo, x mroofl °:yyA" 'oyy boSc °'° a SSFnU m>,UUR • 1�4 /� � o v" m w c w w O v -0 Y.a w - Tit k.F °,,..,0.0 0_. ., �j U�+1�vr 2:❑{7 T�❑C, till yam+ Q 0 V/ a'W e w v O P o'° N ° m m'h'o Oi gUg N M'a „..., as go ^ 'l y to n �I„� 3Fl-ics—ba. taa, bo�v-a0A glib-4 ° roy0dd >ACw�� m75o O Fi' o a A�'� a .-1 .1i fliu;ti:u•u N {U 1O1flz C 0 , °.c AvxyiyytyJ1g g 2Ay� y��//''7� sy:Abo w,0 a^ wgromo�iGmy >'�/j _Is=i, Qi a ,co z z 1., dl.�it r{g5 E 2.'•u r :_:m w mTr ,�7ctl Rx vooaom'�J w _ yywf. a O vmy `" 0.) ' y }. 0-„5 , ,,,,,,, ,,q ,„-,13 .Co = IC "fl,...,..-re-".- g^+ i c a w O W v d' F. "-' a A +a 'O JJ § fcu a-5 a p • 4 °fA L1Naa'3g+-N�J oe,-0.�yy ai�P..�„a'NAah � ai ca.c ,� ya� E yob y O �ra.-a • O as�as f"+ m °,a .4 x'o f:" M e ba m,c Wks .°: U � may} C ❑❑ .F pri Ov1ic °x op�p." 3E., m vo G[A-1 a""iAS�..E wS" wA F °JQH.� ,CGO.ay_.tga'F �• OC v� Uyy vu� w Qw�CR fARF 0.d 403 y rod. vy• yOC aC ca W`'y eo , �y- �V1 dym 3 ^O U h .c.) ; 9 Oo Oy tbo rm m y v'°Om 6S. o :r@ • = = .C ma y 0.U•❑a .a Vy y�R 0 .Ca °x.y y - 3 \ ''/T! '0R) N0 W c:1 -' N 'es Avz ril, m oU] p NN �' 1. 'O.' �" c ri . o E , 3p...0y ..cwa cm,R3 a°iCh°B � °F' o.�g)y m 'egyb'og F� ' . T Net w N N y m m N bo° m N O as4,_#.--*,: .'n cN x >. o a m oc opapR . o v (}•' (�1 'd =y—, o vy yy w 'OGG0vLy'O W" " v " Rpa .°"�- I ' t O vAm go f-0A N.,.4w+-, .am 0F.�n Nmav a >�m N"O ctlT S t. O a w m W 8 _ w N moy,.°o ga y °y'y?? o a g yo e1 - p N v.. vi 200,= 0 N yyr w'^ as ' �H :c '' F.G3Oca ariE 0. wv = cai mAaow'NO C 637, d:pmArimww O Tom , �y z � «a.a .. o w„w a'❑° o.c £ d waAm wCmam �' ow > �.9 ai• ;� ya + ' ` Gr/^� a wy a ° ,2 'A >.ap •.6pwovz°w3w va aivm�'dyc `F' VD z ro m ° 025,2 4.) CO) U' ° yocyRx 0 Rrrov a .__ Lcc z7 O p o ¢¢"lv. C v h0 d ro F. y cyd d a ~'� aO,q'�-' a o C b 0 yea v a w 0 6 U N ,'� ' o m+"o yam' �A«ma y.ma vaaARcx mO,y .a 6a'ay0aNm P7pmAaa a(A O i--56 10E ° g.0ro > le rtg l -'1Apod � dZ0 o�vi "" ctnoE A.aU-. fl g..q A..a0 as Nv wnWmc..a .am 5.5 _ o.JA �p n m.' m big,' m ow- • m i,.o.° NroR m v!-. m royro o (n mig y P 2 yN "d NR am ° 22 ° a >- : 00 wc'�a c o N go `may s, v wP a�i romE- OUaa.a aQ aa' vv .CNN N .G Coro vW Cy3 av R0 ,t c, moo m v :00 >>3 ,..7 .. . 0 ca .L v ° 9 p` _ ` Ca) t o ° w.a ;.,g «aROF 25,.00...c co N :C'C N v . 2 o r`lY/1 a `-'0 .2,,i-go. w P ch v k' N N.a 3 v v.� . o ,o � o ro fl `a=. ., v Q f: ° o .., qq N ' 'wy*+ • a' �� }' N moaciv a�i i❑E b°..g..2 ty �ro ❑o'c biD.Poa oyiv 00. ›. PWI E # 'FCis .„iRbo.C a°i akaba,, y7'', e' '° O >'vvi a, o Z N 6=t 4!wo rowc .mm wR +�.' as r y jd atN �r'oo it ' o9k°' w o ° 'y ry #I. . o cdNc .� wok wm >> y tCi c W � � iuSp � ami iHUOWU 'o''' R ai Cy Boo .(./w� a•( r^ Ctbo N (3"P C a. .C " c. d�wN 1-)h0 0 , C /1.ns o O b a y.E z d as A A.) a• Ii ? ' AGja.ppas m y °ONO Oc f c > � , V WWN «,ddvCwc > wv >,a'Wyy,9"-•E = eop.tv.RW ti 'r JPo U - 1�1 vcm. G .aN .3 'oF V 20 c �>y Ovaa y�-..^ 3 veavaa• v � R ,� Q 'G .:. Cy ` C n , flywvx �r. 84-,,;'.va'3vcy�.. v.C� ..ac Oc, m roav+w . ayA3 .,..en'a a$ O V/ fl c. P� s� N v, f:L ° cy s >+ c y C7 ro v a+ O C w 4 UI'O ° a>._ 44 ca LL �Q m ► �' +� mF � f13 ti a3dmo3 'N° aNa °o¢�� ° c w �o "� �� $ ' � —�g' = --- V 94 e 2Ra a °T10;!' 0c610 y p• a ° w Ga ;c: O o Up " O P 4 y w d y vw rg y cc �cgsFyy'� a YmR y vi 3' Naw .. {. N G ya vi E. c m c' ° cwi y CH S•. to- ,,-. ,i 3 c, > d ro 3 O , •-,4-.- 0.O N ° �P '11 ,1 d -E 7:5 cn oB .ma'z..R0 o Z� EhAro areemb cuCnOrvoym al y a witv� U C c R>,Nas cea v , b0,i'ITI L. ct : w �N vwOc., p ;•��//�� D40 . c�y �y:o. [ Q) Q) .. A0 ° wm os".'cb0 w J ^ -oo do z `g . ..4 +, l 1 Sri mme°owti3w ' O . a+ OO.,amO ail &-, y •'',..1' . ti • V ^y�• ROro in Oc. y L i mx .5dma, •7 .= O .» 0 ro7 mCpo aP Vf r :::: �' aaca�s m� V'" O „ . ym� y � Cyoj � m Nvp04mRs; f*l clop +�,7. p cu Pa:d33 c'-i . oai �a V 0.4 0. .R., WvNoc°a III O Z 3 GC boi ° Nh0.b yroro fit,1-3 vNO ' d a -iii R °3c > L_ ,u w • a°i ° C: c2m'� od m p, °"mob0 cya o.ti v Pro-^ ILL w . LTA +t �r �� G Uw o � m:oym� Owm33wa) Q �c° .�'❑0❑ 3$a00DFA ma Nao � U ymg _-O ti W � . O ocya above p+ic d >:y p:a °'�.a bcd dinm [ °J a>.jpA 'U amiOm `� OA ) a Q g� iru' >,y, td. 3.�'d O U.� v N 1fl •IJ!Ii w x v N � v Goy�cd' U >. w z -. ills Nv'`E v2.51awb0, Lii-. IILIu14 y II ccMEQy A AO ay Qty Y a < YCria _, v�MC !>- .. a wFrl3 vc ° «35v •I ° ctiwN tRchoac'° Jo w^' Cti �! 9' .4. 04-.b J COe y U 5 y fN .E'i.'.] W .VyJ 1] Cv.w• y,0"1.3 U y >,12 y mC. .`g O y U p °` e. Po.R w oz t4 '�/ 4 r Z i .y, w oQyNO � p8ybo '°ro U.EJNPOpv Aw �. a $.' „....00.c.y ❑�,c3 >�a> N7oy. a v �'5 O,v v'°'. OR waN ..C-, m v 'n" ° '0• N 'L x'. �{/ g N N w d ^ m g 09 W. U ° ° 4 N S' ° O W y y y ro N .w.N f❑❑Y V -' m 3 A Z RCIS `� ° cv w R+' � 'O fly� �'om ° Uy o.a flmmsim c�, �y mvy+3y 7Na oam O 'O .aPcsLF P+'aa 44 .“2* a0y2"avH2OyC1mr tErlgCl w vw, •'-' n ° +a+-' N U cRl N Nro P _ p ❑ _ p VRa GN as .avA f1WW m m >,v C,� e3 vv'Q10 yam N Fohm F- "N ` om m �, `�'c0 amw ro yg 2 ray -.- ,- v A '96 jyj v YN.. J G , �: IAp r `fit ,s, C LL r �yjl Pi C y 1 b i " i '' ' ' i j • r tai ��\\-, ` { f 1, 1 ' I Q$y r it"r- _L I H 1?-r-,...,;$.' ' Hello