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McCain suggests raiding Colorado's water
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by René | August 16, 2008 at 09:14 pm
385 views | 7 Recommendations | 5 comments
By Bob Ewegen, The Denver Post, 08/15/2008 08:44:49 PM MDTMemo to: John McCain.
From: Five million thirst-crazed Coloradans.
Subject: Forget about winning our nine electoral votes next November. We don't vote for water rustlers in this state; we tar and feather them!
Yes, fellow citizens of the state whose official motto is "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting," John McCain has thunk the unthinkable — and proposed renegotiating the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
To quote from Charles Ashby's story in the Friday Pueblo Chieftain:
"The water compact that Colorado and other upper basin states have with California and Arizona should be renegotiated," U.S. Sen. John McCain said Thursday.
. By the time Ashby's story finishes rocketing around the Rockies, McCain's name will be McMud among the water buffaloes.
Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, an expert on water law, sprang at McCain's blunder like a mongoose throttling a cobra.
The compact would be reopened "over my dead body," the normally mild-mannered Salazar roared.
Even the Sierra Club, rarely a friend to water buffaloes, piled on.
Whatever gave the guy from Arizona the idea that Colorado wants to give up more water to their lagoons, lakes, golf courses, and other wasteful practices in their desert land?
McMudd has really stuck it this time!
He did try to rectify this blunder by saying he would never advocate taking any more water from Colorado. But....
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 21:57 on August 16th, 2008
Early last century water rights were bought up by the Mulholland crooks. These guys used guns and bribes. The LA dept of water and power grew out of their company. They bought up all water rights in the southwest that were available. The main part that needs to be renegotiated is water flowing past the grand canyon. Several years ago mexico laid claim to some of the water and it mostly came out of the arizona portion. Colorado can not hold the water back because of the environment.
My parents went to high school and were friends with the Mulholland kids in the 30's.
at 23:55 on August 16th, 2008
René, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 03:22 on August 17th, 2008
René, I like this story. It's good stuff. The war for water, now in the US; Time document. Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting..., we want to hear more, what is the reason ? thanks
at 13:43 on August 17th, 2008
Water wars in the Wild West started back in the 1800s, but there's new ones too:
Two new hot topics in the recent water wars in the Arid West are fish and river rafting
Lots of Western movies and western TV series on the water rights wars. You gotta google for them.
Coloradoans highly resent other states claiming their water. After all Colorado has 'First Rights'! If it weren't for the Colorado River, there wouldn't be any Phoenix, any greater Los Angeles, any Las Vegas, any orange groves in Arizona. And they waste it! on golf courses and lagoons, on green grass lawns in the desert, on millions of swimming pools and fountains, etc. etc. etc.
at 13:50 on August 17th, 2008
Rene thanks for additonal water info. A golf course alone needs 1 million Glns per day for the green, I understand now