The Senate decided today to defer to the experts rather than wade through the competing interests of river rafters and property owners on House Bill 1188, dubbed the “Right to Float” bill.

The measure has taken several river-like twists and turns since it was introduced in the House, stirring up consternation and emotions over what has been acknowledged as an “uneasy truce” between rafters and property owners over the years.

Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, offered today’s pivotal amendment approved by the full Senate, asking the Colorado Water Congress to weigh in on the issues regarding Colorado’s rivers pertaining to rafting through private property.  The Water Congress is made up of voluntary members with the purpose of “providing key leadership on key water resource issues and to be the principal voice of Colorado’s water community.”

“This is a difficult and complicated issue that does need to be worked out,” said White.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, rejected the idea of deferring the issue and urged his colleagues to dive into the issue head on and to resolve the lingering questions in this year’s legislative session.

“Folks, the people are asking the government to do something. So, let’s man up, and woman up, and do something,” said Romer.

Bill sponsor Sen. Mary Hodge of Brighton agreed with fellow Democrat Romer but focused her comments on the study and the need for a more immediate resolution.

“A study gets us nowhere” said Hodge. “The status quo isn’t working or we wouldn’t be here.”

Those that wanted to resolve the issue rather than send it off for further study argued that the river rafters and property owners need the clarification that the measure would provide and that they needed it sooner rather than later due to rampant confusion and misconceptions.

“This puts into law what everyone already thinks is common law,” said Hodge.

Avid river rafter Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Denver, who said he has logged over 1000 miles as a rafting guide, thinks that clearing up the ambiguity would serve the state well for the sake of Colorado’s summertime tourism industry, which Gibbs says is driven by rafting.

“Lets have a reality check here,” said Gibbs. “Tourism is one of our leading economies. If we do not pass this bill I think we’ll be in a world of hurt.”

Gibbs went on to mention one particular property owner who some say has stirred up the “uneasy truce” and happens to be from Texas. This prompted Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas to weigh in, highlighting the competing interests of rafters and property owners that has been at the heart of the bill.

“Colorado’s rivers should be for Coloradoans, we shouldn’t let folks from out of state influence this bill. Come on folks, I mean who are we representing down here? Millionaires from Texas?” asked Gibbs.

Kester responded to Gibbs, saying, “I think we should be representing the private property rights of Colorado citizens who own property along the river.”

Whether or not the issue will be looked at by the Water Congress will now be up to the House who will have the opportunity to have an up or down vote on the Senate version assuming that the bill is adopted by the Senate on a roll call vote as early as Monday.

The version approved by the House last month before it came over to the Senate gave Colorado’s commercial rafters greater leeway in running their excursions through private land, drawing fire from critics who said the move is an assault on property rights.