Colorado Water Wars Include Spy Campaign

[Judi Lynn]

Oct 19, 4:22 AM EDT

Colorado Water Wars Include Spy Campaign

By STEVEN K. PAULSON
Associated Press Writer

WIGGINS, Colo. (AP) -- If some farmers in eastern Colorado felt like they were being watched this summer, they had good reason.

Private investigators hired by some of Colorado's fastest-growing communities spent weeks spying on them, trying to determine if they were illegally pumping water for their crops, The Associated Press has learned.

The investigators put together an elaborate database on 50 plots of land in eastern Colorado, noting things like "puddles around sprinkler perimeter" and "lush corn," and turned it over to state engineer Hal Simpson, who is investigating the claims.

"There was one man taking pictures. My wife asked if she could help him and he sped off," said Steve Bruntz, who recently joined other farmers at a Wiggins gas station to talk with a reporter.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VANISHING_FARMS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-10-19-04-22-30