Eagle County Leaders Sign Water Deal
EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - An agreement that Denver Water reached with almost three dozen Western Slope water users last year has its first signatures.
Leaders from Eagle County, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District, Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority and Eagle Park Reservoir Co. met Tuesday to sign the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement.
The agreement seeks to balance the Denver-area's growing demands for water with the needs of the mountain communities that supply it.
The Eagle County water users are among parties that announced the agreement last year with Denver Water, even though some parties still had concerns about details.
"With this Colorado River Cooperative Agreement I really think it completes the paper trail if you will; it completes a package where Denver is no longer a threat, Denver is now a partner," Eric Kuhn with the Colorado River District said.
"It's not just an agreement that's going to be signed and forgotten, or people immediately fall off. But I believe it signifies an enduring partnership between Denver Water and the Western Slope," Denver Water CEO Jim Lochhead said.
The Eagle County water users are the first parties in the state to ratify the deal.
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