City of Aspen staff is directing council to keep water rights for reservoirs on Castle and Maroon Creeks. As Elizabeth Stewart-Severy reports, this goes against public sentiment.
In a period of two weeks, the city received nearly 60 comments, which Aspen Public Radio obtained through an open records request.
These emails unanimously encouraged the city to abandon the storage rights, citing fears of future dams in Aspen’s two iconic valleys. The national advocacy group American Rivers joined local non-profits Roaring Fork Conservancy, Wilderness Workshop, and others in urging the city to instead focus on conservation efforts.
Aspen has owned conditional storage rights since 1971. In state water court this October, the city needs to show that it can and will use them.
In a memo to Aspen City Council, utilities and environmental initiatives director, Dave Hornbacher, advised keeping the rights, citing potential impacts of climate change. Hornbacher says the city will investigate alternatives to these reservoirs.
