On a sunny day, I heard the gentle whirling of sprinklers on my neighbor’s lawn. I could see the new lawn mower revving up across the street. More walkers, bikers and kids were out and about in the older neighborhoods of Durango. Spring and the promise of summer are greeting all of us. The excitement of the rebirth of nature is in the air.
The anticipation of the temperature changing also brings questions about Lake Nighthorse. Colorado’s Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet recently sent a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation in Washington to request a plan to open Lake Nighthorse to recreation access.
Not a day goes by for the Durango City Council without getting a question concerning the lake opening date. The city staff has been working for years on getting the lake opened.
The very first meeting I attended in Durango in 1975 concerned the Animas-La Plata Project. Now, the water is a reality. Now, the fish are getting bigger, and the temperature is getting hotter. The reality is folks are trespassing and poaching those fish. This is not acceptable behavior in our community. Concerns about cultural resources and treaty-protected hunting and fishing rights from our friends the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribes are, I believe, solvable. The City Council respects and works with our neighbors and tribal councils from Ignacio and Towaoc.
Thanks to past city councilors, Lake Nighthorse will provide water to residents of Durango well into the future. The lake will provide needed water opportunities for our surrounding neighbors. Water supply balanced with recreation are opportunities I hope will be in the near future for our communities.
I would like to thank Udall and Bennet for writing the letter to the Bureau of Reclamation. U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton also sent a letter to the bureau. What can you do to move forward the opening of the lake? You can call Ed Warner at the Bureau of Reclamation in Grand Junction to express your views. His number is (970) 248-0690.
As a little girl, I watched my mother make phone calls to legislative leaders to express her views on issues. Sometimes dinner was late, and we grumbled as kids. As an adult, if you grumble, then maybe you didn’t make the call, send the email or attend a crucial meeting.
Citizen participation is needed and appreciated by elected officials. I know that in our busy lives “we can’t do everything” is a phrase I often hear. I urge you to come to a meeting or to watch Durango City Council on City Span Channel 10. Don’t be shy about talking to the mayor at the grocery store or at the thrift store. I like to think of us as neighbors who care about our town and appreciate all the opportunities that living in Southwest Colorado offers.
See you at the grocery store.
Sweetie Marbury is the mayor of Durango, a position rotating among members of City Council. She was elected to City Council in 2011 and will serve as mayor until April 2015, when she will be succeeded by now-Mayor pro tem Dean Brookie. Reach her at SweetieMarbury@DurangoGov.org.
