From the Cortez Journal (Reid Wright):
“We can now work with the district with everything on the table,” said MVI President Randy Carver. “There’s no confusion on our water rights. … Both MVI and the district are in a position now to where we can work together, which is absolutely critical to managing the water supply.”
DWCD General Manager Mike Preston agreed. “I think we’ve got agreements in place that should provide the basis for resolving issues that arise in the future,” Preston said.
The settlement clarifies that MVIC has no set water allocation from the reservoir, but has an allocation that may be revised over the course of each year depending on the flow of the Dolores River. It further requires DWCD to release an accounting of water released from the reservoir. Lastly, it provides a dispute resolution process.
MVIC filed the lawsuit in June 2009, against the Dolores Water Conservancy District and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for allegedly not meeting water requirements agreed to in 1977 contracts of the Dolores Project.
More Montezuma County coverage here.
