July 02, 2014 03:05 PM UTC

Call For Both Ways Bob To Come Clean About Colorado's Water

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization, today called on Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez to finally tell the voters of Colorado his opinion on diverting Western Slope water to the Front Range.

"Bob Beauprez claims to value the the Western Slope's agricultural economy, but he backed a 'water grab' measure that could have devastated the Western Slope by diverting precious water resources to the Front Range," said ProgressNow Colorado executive direct Amy Runyon-Harms. "When running for governor last time, Beauprez told stakeholders in Montrose that 'no one has convinced me of the need for transmountain diversions.' That was only two years after supporting a ballot measure to do exactly that."

In 2003, Referendum A was proposed to allow the state to issue billions of dollars in bonds for new water storage projects. Referendum A was overwhelmingly defeated by the voters, especially on the Western Slope. Since then, many of the politicians who supported Referendum A have been removed from office. [1]

"When Bob Beauprez had the chance to protect rural Colorado's water, he instead listened to corporate special interests and backed a water grab so unpopular that voters remember it to this day," said Runyon-Harms. "We call on Beauprez to explain his support for Referendum A while claiming to care about Western Slope interests–and apologize for participating in a failed water grab against rural Coloradans."