Several weeks ago, I attended a hearing at Durango Public Library regarding a state water plan. State Rep. Mike McLachlan spoke on behalf of one of the breakout groups and the first words out of his mouth made the point that “only 5 percent of the state residents had vested water rights” in a very dismissive tone. Perhaps McLachlan didn’t get the memo that those people with vested water rights are the same ones who grow produce and feed for livestock in Colorado. One has to wonder if Mike Bloomberg or Vice President Joe Biden blew in his ear and told him that those with vested water rights weren’t worth bothering with.
As a side note, all of the people who spoke on behalf of their breakout groups (except McLachlan) were very critical of the proposed EPA plans to control water distribution in Colorado. Quite frankly, I resent the fact that McLachlan would rather listen to national political figures than locals.
Dennis Pierce
Durango
