Aspen, Colorado's City Council has voted to preserve the city's water rights with an option to dam local waterways if climate change or population growth creates a shortage of water in the future.
To the dismay of some local environmental groups, the Aspen City Council has voted to extend the city's water rights, giving the city the option to build dams on Castle Creek and Maroon Creek in the future if warranted by water shortages caused by climate change or population growth. The damming, the groups argue, would flood recreation areas and wildlife habitats in the area. Zach Evens of Boulder Weekly writes that the City Council has stated that by securing the water rights "they are preventing outside parties from being able to exploit the creeks." However, opponents say there are other measures the city can take to preserve the water supply, including increased conservation and water-sharing agreements.
FULL STORY: Water rights in Aspen; Lawsuit in Peru
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