May 1, 1975 – The statement from Congressman Frank Evans in Washington, as reported in the Plaindealer last week, has been confirmed this week, at the local level, concerning a possible offer to buy sufficient water from the Dallas Project for irrigation use to nullify the Kemmerer Coal Co. option. The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association Board has approved a resolution to buy 24,000 acre-feet of water from the Dallas Creek Project, which is the same amount as allocated under option to the Kemmerer Coal Company by the Tri-County Water Conservancy District. The Kemmerer option has been a hot controversial issue in this area since September 1972, when the details of the option first became known to the public. The option was made in 1971, and gave rise to opposition to the Dallas Creek Project because it would provide water for a large coal plant in the valley.