In efforts to fulfill a three-state water compact, the state engineer ordered that water be released from a reservoir in northeastern Colorado. The state plans to release about 2,200 acre feet of water over 25 days from the reservoir in Bonny Lake State Park...The decision to release the water comes as Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas prepare for a meeting in August to determine if the states are complying with a compact that first divvied up use of the Republican River in 1942...Colorado's share of the republican river dropped to 25,000 acre-feet of water a year after the drought hit. The state's annual use has ranged from about 35,000 to 37,000 acre-feet...Fears of liability from not meeting the Republican River compact prompted Nebraska lawmakers this year to pass a measure to raise up to $16 million annually through taxes and fees on people in the river basin. The money would go in part to improve conservation and compensate Kansas. Nebraska has used more than its allocation the past three years.

To view the full article, visit the Denver Post. A similar article was published May 23, 2007--Colorado told to release water, fulfill pact with Kansas, Nebraska (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel). For copies of the original articles contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.