May 3, 2008--Last-ditch effort to restart wells on Platte fails (Denver Post)
A last-ditch effort to help farmers along the South Platte River whose wells were shut off in a water-rights fight has died in the Legislature. The Legislature killed similar bills earlier in the session, which ends this week. The latest effort failed Friday when a Senate committee defeated it 4-3. The measure would have allowed the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to lease water to the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. The water would have replaced water drawn from the Platte when wells are pumping. Hundreds of wells in northeastern Colorado were ordered shut down in 2002 in Adams, Weld and Morgan counties after holders of senior water rights successfully argued that tapping the groundwater was illegally drawing down the river.
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