A state water committee is moving toward taking a more direct role in supporting water projects such as a Flaming Gorge pipeline, but the needs of everyone in the state must be considered.  “We may not be making progress as fast as some members want, and we may be moving faster than others want us to,” said John Stulp, director of the Interbasin Compact Committee and Gov. John Hickenlooper’s special adviser for water issues. “It’s a very complex puzzle, and attitudes are going to vary by region,” Stulp said. A former state commissioner of agriculture, Prowers County commissioner and farm-ranch operator, Stulp knows all too well the perils of taking water away from agriculture to satisfy urban needs. He’s also gaining good insight into the complexities of transmountain dealings. Last week, the IBCC received a detailed presentation of Denver Water’s agreement with 33 Colorado River communities, and the chance to share perspectives of what the IBCC’s role will be in future projects. This week, Stulp traveled to the southwest corner of the state to learn more about its water concerns. “(On the Western Slope) there is a lot more concern about the possibility of a Colorado River compact call and what that might mean,” Stulp said. “The question is: How do you assess the environmental and water supply aspects of a call on the Colorado River? We have to look at those things from a statewide perspective.”

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