Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 12:55 p.m.
Read more: Local, State, Economy, Politics, Business, Water Issue, Salida, Colorado, Nestle, Water, Arrowhead, Fish Hatchery, Chaffee County
SALIDA, Colo. (AP) -- Chaffee County has approved a plan to ship Arkansas Valley spring water to Denver to be bottled.
The county commissioners Wednesday unanimously approved th plan by Nestle Waters North America to draw about 65 million gallons yearly from a spring along the Arkansas River near Buena Vista.
The company will ship the water via pipeline to a plant in Denver to bottle it under its Arrowhead brand.
The county's approval came with a list of conditions, including hiring local workers and companies to build the pipeline and for trucking, restoring a fish hatchery and replacing water upstream of its spring.
Opponents of the plan warned of the long-term effects on the area.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
