Project to help

restore river



By RUTH HEIDE

ALAMOSA — Due to the efforts of U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, the Water Resources and Development Act of 2007 includes $25 million for restoration and management of the Rio Grande.

The act, which passed through the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, includes millions of dollars for Colorado water projects with the largest amount, $25 million, for the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The program provides for restoration and management of the Rio Grande and its Alamosa and Conejos River tributaries.

“That is important for us because we need to make sure we are protecting our compact entitlements in the San Luis Valley and the Rio Grande Basin,” Salazar said.

“To the west and rural America, water is our most important resource,” he added. “I am pleased that congress has recognized the importance of authorizing these water projects for Colorado.”

In addition to the Rio Grande project, Colorado water projects included in the Water Resources and Development Act of 2007 are: $10 million to construct the Arkansas Valley Conduit; $10 million to construct the Boulder County Pipeline; $13.7 million to conduct ecosystem restoration work along the South Platte River in Denver; and $5 million to conduct regional and watershed studies to address selenium concentrations in Colorado.

The act also instructs the Secretary of the Army to speed up completion of the Fountain Creek Watershed Study.

The senate and house passed the Water Resources and Development Act of 2007 which will now pass through conference committee on its way to the president for his signature.

“These are very important projects for me,” Salazar said.

During his teleconference on Wednesday, Salazar also addressed legislation involving Iraq. Salazar voted for the Warner Amendment which he said would have required accountability from the Iraqi government in meeting 18 benchmarks such as reducing sectarian violence and equitable distribution of oil revenues. The amendment did not pass on Wednesday.

Salazar said what he expected to happen now would be the passage of an amendment supporting the troops. “I expect at the end of the day ... that there will be funding for the war through the remainder of the fiscal year, through October, so the troops will be funded.”

Salazar added, “There will have to be a change, in my view. The efforts of the last four-plus years have failed. They have not succeeded, and we need to move forward in a direction that is going to bring about success.” He added that also means bringing the troops home safely.