A $500,000 study is being considered by the state of Colorado to determine the feasibility of a project to pump water from the Colorado River, at the Utah border, to the suburbs of Denver. Although officially known as the Colorado Aqueduct Return Project (CARP), it’s nickname has become "The Big Straw." Early this month, Living Rivers voiced its opposition to the 600,000 acre-feet diversion at a public meeting held in Grand Junction.
With the federal government now forcing California to start reducing its take from the Colorado River, the state of Colorado is aggressively seeking ways to develop its unused water allocation. Initial costs for the Big Straw have been estimated to be $5 billion. This projection does not include the operation costs, such as the energy necessary to pump the water uphill, nor the costs to mitigate the environmental damage. Pat Mulhern, a civil engineer speaking at the meeting stated "I’m not yet convinced that this project is economically or environmentally feasible and suggest that the proposed study focus on these two fundamental questions." Electricity costs alone have been estimated to be $165 million annually. Matt Sura, director of the Western Colorado Congress said, "Isn’t this the fatal flaw of the project? Why is a study even required?"
Water quality was one of the biggest issues raised by the public. Al Pfister of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mentioned that selenium in the Colorado River at the Utah border "exceeds the current state standard 85 percent of the time. Poor water quality could affect numerous fish and wildlife species in the rivers and streams where the water is delivered."
The boosters refuse to look at conservation policies that would increase water yields by reducing consumption. Representing agriculture, Harry Talbott recommended a way to increase water yields by removing "guzzling plants, such as Tamarisk." Nic Korte of the Grand Valley Audubon Society noted that, "drip irrigation for agriculture can reduce water use by 30 -70 percent and increase crop yields 20-90 percent."
