It's encouraging to see that some of the harshest critics of a proposed water pipeline from southwestern Wyoming to Colorado's Front Range will have an official role in evaluating the project. Their questions deserve to be directly answered as part of the federal process.

It's no secret that Sweetwater County, the Sweetwater County Conservation District, and the cities of Rock Springs and Green River have opposed Colorado businessman Aaron Million's $3 billion proposal from the very beginning. Million wants to divert 250,000 acre feet from the Green River, in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir Area, near Wyoming's southwestern border with Utah. The water would come from the state of Colorado's share of water under the Colorado River Compacts, a series of interstate agreements over river management.

An acre foot is about 325,000 gallons of water -- the amount of water that would cover an acre to a depth of one foot. Last month the developer said he may scale back his application, but it hasn't happened yet, and may not. Million maintains his project won't environmentally hurt the river; opponents vehemently disagree.

Even if the project becomes smaller, city and county officials are wary. "It really doesn't make any difference whether he wants to publicly change it to 50- or 60,000 acre feet," said Green River Mayor Hank Castillon. "Once you start moving that water -- this is my opinion -- the appetite won't be quenched at that time."

Sweetwater County, Rock Springs and Green River -- which banded together to form the Communities Protecting the Green River coalition -- previously requested "cooperating agency" status from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But there was no movement on the issue until Sen. John Barrasso pressed the agency, and the status was finally granted last week.

It's important because it gives the county and two cities seats at the table where decisions are being made, rather than being on the outside looking in, responding to questions or participating in public comments. As cooperating agencies, they will be able to make their collective voice heard.

Public hearings in southwest Wyoming have shown overwhelming objections to Million's project. Residents are worried that it could hurt local industry, curtail future growth in Green River and Rock Springs, and threaten a world-class fishery

The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area attracts more than 2 million visitors annually, many drawn by the fishing and boating opportunities. The loss of such activities would definitely hurt the local economy.

In addition, only about 25,000 acre feet of water would be delivered annually to users in Wyoming's Platte River Basin. The other 225,000 acre feet would go to Colorado. It's difficult to see much benefit accruing to the state from any aspect of this project.

The Corps of Engineers has a history of painstakingly evaluating projects, and it will take years to complete its work on this trans-basin diversion project. A draft environmental impact statement isn't even expected to be completed until 2012.

But we trust that the inclusion of Sweetwater County, Green River and Rock Springs as cooperating agencies, in addition to many other local, state and federal agencies that have been invited to participate, will strengthen the overall process.