[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A STUDENT'S THOUGHTFUL ESSAY

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                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 2008

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam Speaker, every present and former 
college student knows that writing a solid essay or research paper is 
not easy.
  So, I think it's appropriate to recognize the careful effort 
displayed by Theresa Snyder in an essay published last month in the 
Pueblo Chieftain newspaper.
  Ms. Snyder is a student at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Her 
topic is a proposed water-delivery project called the Southern Delivery 
System, which would pipe water to that city from the Pueblo Reservoir--
part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project--with return flows back to the 
Arkansas River via Fountain Creek.
  Because of the complexity of the project, I joined others in asking 
the Bureau of Reclamation to provide additional time for comment on 
it--a request that I am happy to say has been granted.
  I think Ms. Snyder's essay, written in connection with a class in 
Western Water Policy, reflects well on her and on the quality of 
instruction at Colorado College.
  For the benefit of all our colleagues, here is the full text of her 
essay:

               [From the Pueblo Chieftain, Mar. 16, 2008]

            Springs Needs To Correct Fountain Creek Problems

             (By Theresa Snyder, Colorado College Student)

       First things first . . .
       In a time when water is becoming increasingly scarce, 
     Colorado Springs has failed to explore its many options for 
     responsible water use. The Springs, which has experienced 
     rapid population growth in the past 40 years, is expected to 
     grow by an additional 250,000 people by 2025.
       To supplement water supply for this urban development, a $1 
     billion project known as the Southern Delivery System has 
     been proposed by Colorado Springs Utilities. The project 
     includes storing water in Lake Pueblo and running a 43-mile 
     long pipeline from Pueblo Dam to Colorado Springs.
       The city, while possessing all the required water rights to 
     use the additional 78 million gallons a day from Lake Pueblo, 
     currently is completing an Environmental Impact Statement as 
     required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 
     Drafts of the statement led the citizens of Pueblo to wonder 
     about their future as downstream water users.
       The focus of Pueblo's concern is Fountain Creek. This 
     watershed begins as Monument Creek in Colorado Springs, flows 
     south and joins Fountain Creek, continues to Pueblo and 
     eventually joins the Arkansas River in Pueblo.
       The creek has long been used to channel return flow 
     wastewater from Colorado Springs. As a result of the Southern 
     Delivery System, return flows from the city into Fountain 
     Creek would greatly increase.
       Anyone who walks along the creek can see the obvious 
     problems with erosion, sedimentation and water quality 
     already present in the creekbed. Current return flows from 
     Colorado Springs have altered this previously intermittent 
     stream to a year-round flow, and are to blame for the 
     multitude of other problems in Fountain Creek.
       Increased sedimentation along the creek bed produces 
     stretches of dirt with no trace of vegetation. Other sections 
     of the river have channelized as severely as 20 feet below 
     previous flow lines. The result is a creek that 
     looks sprawled in some areas and like a small canyon with 
     steep, abrupt walls in others.
       The Southern Delivery System would only increase average 
     flows and consequently the sedimentation and erosion that 
     results in an unappealing creek with muddy water. Where does 
     all of this poor-quality, heavy-sediment water go? Downstream 
     to Pueblo.
       As Colorado Springs Utilities officials prepare to launch a 
     $1 billion project, they have failed to address a serious 
     issue that will only worsen upon completion of the project. 
     Clean-up of Fountain Creek should be first on the list of 
     projects to tackle. Colorado Springs brings in the majority 
     of its water from the Western Slope of Colorado. Seventy 
     percent actually comes from Fryingpan-Arkansas water storage 
     projects across the Great Divide. This means fresh, crisp 
     mountain water. Yet the city passes on poor-quality water and 
     disregards the negative effects the flows have on a natural 
     ecosystem and downstream municipality.
       Pueblo has begun to speak up and demands that Colorado 
     Springs dam Fountain Creek to control the overall flow of the 
     creek. A dam would control flooding as well as mitigate the 
     negative effects from erosion and sedimentation.
       Yet Colorado Springs Utilities has cited cost as the 
     primary reason for not damming the creek. How is cost an 
     object when the utility is prepared to shovel out $1.1 
     billion for more water? It seems selfish and unfair of a 
     municipality to not only ignore a problem such as Fountain 
     Creek but to propose a huge project that only worsens the 
     situation.
       Colorado Springs is considered the ``big bully'' in this 
     ongoing water issue. It's time for them to take a step back.
       First things first: Colorado Springs officials should 
     address the issues at hand such as Fountain Creek. They 
     should become responsible water users before they gain access 
     to more of the precious commodity.
       Though they may have the legal rights to follow through 
     with the Southern Delivery System, it's unfair and 
     irresponsible to ignore the current mess and follow through 
     with a project that brings more detrimental effects.

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