Salazar Announces House Passage of Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act

Press Release

Salazar Announces House Passage of Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act

Congressman John Salazar today announced that the United States House of Representatives has passed and sent to the Senate a bill he sponsored to save a critical water infrastructure for the residents of the Mancos Valley and Mesa Verde National Park.

The bill, known as HR 3437, The Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act of 2007, is needed to extend the life of the aging Mancos Project on the Mancos River north of Mancos in Montezuma County. The Jackson Gulch reservoir supplies water to the town of Mancos, the Mancos Water Conservancy District, the Mancos Rural Water Company and is the sole supplier of municipal water for Mesa Verde National Park. The project provides irrigation water for over 13,000 acres. Salazar's bill passed the full House by voice vote.

Rep. Salazar noted: "The Mancos project is the main water supply for domestic, agriculture, and recreational water supplies in the Mancos Valley and for Mesa Verde National Park. Many of my constituents in that area depend on that water and the agricultural land it irrigates to make their living. They cannot afford to lose their water supply and I am very pleased that this bill has passed the House. I will continue to fight to see that this bill is signed into law before the end of the year."

Gary Kennedy, Superintendent of the Mancos Water Conservancy District noted: "I'm excited to see the House move this important bill forward. Without this legislation we stand a significant chance of losing this whole project and the water supply our families, farms and Mesa Verde all depend on. I appreciate Congressman Salazar's leadership to move this bill forward on behalf of the Mancos Valley."

Additional Background on the Mancos Project:

After years of devastating drought in the 1930s the Mancos Project was authorized in 1940 under President Roosevelt and construction of the project was completed in 1949 using Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Work Projects Administration (WPA) forces in the construction. Today the canals and facilities have exceeded their life expectancy and are in need of rehabilitation or full replacement if repairs are delayed. A delay in action by Congress could result in a catastrophic failure of the canals that supply the water for the project. By agreeing to spend $8 million today, a future price tag of around $30 million for full replacement can be avoided.

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