European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Plans to build a dam and Reservoir threaten Trout fishing in the South Platte River in Cheesman Canyon in Colorado Trout fishing shrine in Colorado threatened by Thomas j. Knudson new York times or Trout fishermen like David 3 Taylor. There arc nol enough superlatives to describe Iho South pm ally River As it tumbles through Chocs Man Canyon in inc Foothills of the Rocky mountains Southwest of Denver. It is our holy water to shrine of Trout fishing in this  said Taylor administrative director of Colorado Trout unlimited an environmental group to fire is no place else i Colorado quite As  but today the Siuth plate River is in danger if the Denver Board of Waler commissioners has its Way a huge dam will be Buiji on the South plane m the next Low years drowning the River and its canyons under the largest Man made Reservoir in the slate and ruining its Trout fishing the Board s plan which must be approved by the Aimy corps of engineers and the u s Forest service has touched off one o the most costly water project debates in years at stake Are such issues As How Western cities can find enough water to meet future population increase s and whether enough water can be saved through conservation recycling and other Means to make expensive water propels unnecessary the project is cited the two Forks dam and Reservoir a municipally financed. 1500 million curtain of Concrete 615 Leel High nearly Hall Ino Sci Gnu of the Empire state building two Forks is the largest water project being proposed by Western cities a grand water impoundment plan Hal seems to have risen from the ashes of another Cia. When the Bureau of reclamation was building giant dams across the West As last As conic is approved Ihm today the Bureau is gelling Oul of i Edam by i dog business in part because of Nsang costs and environmental concerns it will focus mislead on conservation of water and management of resources Seldom have so Many groups fought so hard against a Vialer pro eco the National Audubon society. Me wilderness society the Sierra club and the National wildlife federation As Well As a number of smaller groups. Contend Hal the dam is unnecessary and say it would destroy one of the finest canyons in the Rocky mountains and harm wildlife As Lar away Asmi to Raski Bui they Aie balt my a formidable adversary the Denver Board of Walcer commissioners whose influence has Boon likened to that of the powerful los Angeles metropolitan water District Allied with Iho Walcer Board is Iho metropolitan Waler providers a group of 12 Denver suburbs and water disc Nils. Allol which want to drink from the two Forks Reservoir and a a willing o pay handsomely 80 percent of inc pro incl s Cost for the privilege. Denver and us Urban partners must provide Waler to the densely populated Region around Denver whore Una re recently the Economy has Boon booming and the demand for Waler growing High in Iho mountains where Waler is abundant most of the Best dam Sites have been developed. But at least one Oxler Ordinary Sile remains a narrow Canyon 30 Miles Southwest of Denver where a tributary of the South Platte curves Mlo the River the silo is called two Forks. Allol our studies demonstrate conclusively that additional storage is needed on the East slope said William h Miller manager of the Denver Waler department. The Utility governed by the Waler Board two Forks is the Besl site ii is the most economical Bui it is also the most environmentally damaging and that s the  and it has Boon a costly controversy not one Spade Ful of dirt has been moved but Moie than 137 million has already been spent us to prepare a federally required environmental Impact statement which m Draff form earlier this year weighed 47 pounds a s a Case of kicking Over practically every Rock to sight to be Uro we Aren t harming something and being sued Aboul it later on Miller told a local reporter the controversy should come to a head this Omier when the government is expected to decide whether to Issue pc runs Lor the project ii permits Are granted construction could Start As Early As 1989 and the dam could be completed by 1996 there is Little dispute that the dam would destroy a spectacular wilderness less than an hour s drive from Denver and Colorado Springs. Bighorn sheep still roam the Steep Hills As do Muse Deer and Elk the Pawnee Montane skipper an endangered Butterfly is also found in the area ii would bean awful shame to lose this Canyon said Kevin Durkop. A 37-year-old factory worker from Englewood who has been hiking and trading in the area since he was a child it aggravates me it s like raving somebody take your backyard away " Al two Forks the South plate. Heavily dammed and diverted elsewhere is a Pristine Mountain Stream famous Lor its Sroul fishing near Chessman Canyon the Trout fishing is so Good the fish and wild the service Lias called the area a unique and Mcula Poablo National resource everything about it is sort of the ultimate for Fly  snid Cuil Gowdy the spoils broadcaster and to incr Host of Iho add television program the american spoils Man " i ust think something like this so close to iwo major cities is Worth saving " even migrating Sandhill cranes and whooping cranes 300 Miles away in Nebraska could be afle cled by the dam. Conservationists said because less Walf i from the South plane would reach the main Stem of the Plato River drying up important waterfowl Harilal in some years there s no doubt Aboul it the Platte re a nver under  said Peter a a Berlo. President of the Nali Onai Audubon society i there were an endangered Rivers list the Platte would Tao at the top Denver and is suburbs Are responding to such concerns with a $45 million mitigation plan to reduce environmental damage but the plan which Calls for such things As blocking the Ake with fish and buying land to pro decl inc endangered species is itself the subject of controversy a s Hind of Tike someone saying. We agree that a Monet is Lovely and valuable but Well give you a couple of Norman Rockwell instead " said Daniel f Luecko. Senior scientist for inc environmental defense fund in Boulder what kind of Deal is Hal environmentalists contend Hal there arc less costly and damaging  of providing water to Denver such As expanding ousting reservoirs and purchasing water lights from agriculture which now consumes most of inc West s Datum Bui Miller not i in Hal Denver recently adopted a Walcer conservation program. Saij we just Don i think there is that much water to be saved through conservation we in Irish we need a combination of conservation and no.1, supplies to meet the demand " the Issue of Luuie water demand has been one the biggest Dis Puit s of ill the dam s proponents Nave projected mat by the ear 2010. 26 million people will be  m the Denver area an increase of 800.000, or 30 percent or the current population of 1 8 million but the dam s opponents say me figures Are far Loo High Denver would have to be the fastest growing Eily in the Nahon or a Long Long time to sustain those kinds of population growth promotions said Robert a . Director of resource associates inca Denver Consul Hng term the stars and Stripe Page 17