Dear Editor:
 
My family and my husband's family have farmed in the South Platte River basin for over a hundred years. And we’d like to continue to do so. We appreciate that Governor Ritter has formed a Task Force in response to the well shut-down crisis. However, continual characterization of the crisis – describing it as an argument between senior and junior water right holders – is inaccurate. It is not senior and junior water right holders that have created the problem. It is mismanaged water resources. And it is the use of water law, by attorneys supported by urbanization of the front range, to usurp water from farmers, so that agricultural land too will become available for urban development.
 
The governor’s Task Force has been formed to seek solutions. Since the senior water right holders are not dissatisfied, we assume that those sought-after solutions are for farmers. Disturbingly, however, of the Task Force’s 23 members, the vast majority are non-farmer. We want to know, as taxpayers: Is the Task Force only for "seeking" and paying lip service to farmers? Or it is actually tasked with "resolution"?  
 
If it is the former, why then are we wasting Colorado taxpayers' time and resources on the issue? My family has heard directly, from more than one Task Force member, that resolutions are unlikely. How will the Task Force overcome that? If no resolution is forthcoming, in favor of farmers, it is hard to see the Task Force as other than political posturing.
 
Or, as we hope, has the Task Force gathered to alleviate the unnecessary crisis that mismanaged water resources have put, not just on farmers, but on all those who will suffer  environmentally, economically and from less safe, less secure food supplies? That would be true leadership and wonderful. If the Task Force's actual goal is productivity -- something that farmers can relate to -- we want to know what kind of Task Force outcomes would be considered "solutions." And we would like to know this today.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Thomas Phelps
Eaton Cattle Company
Platteville, CO
303/573-5481