By cvlopez | clopez@alamosacitizen.com
A confidential legal memorandum on Douglas County’s interest in the Renewable Water Resources proposal to export water from the San Luis Valley’s confined aquifer was the subject of discussion at Tuesday’s commissioners work session, and listed in it are pitfalls laid out by the special counsel advising the three county commissioners.
Commissioner George Teal said he remained in favor of negotiating an agreement with RWR but was held back by Commissioner Abe Laydon who said he still planned to visit the area to “hear from those in the Valley who may not have been comfortable going to a large format.”
Short of Laydon’s visit, Teal was ready for the next step which would be to complete an agreement with Renewable Water Resources that would include Douglas County paying RWR $10 million to be a party to state water court proceedings asking for a change of use from agricultural to residential. If approved by the water court, Douglas County would then be asked to meet RWR’s asking price of $19,500 per-acre foot for 22,000 acre-feet, or $429 million.