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As County leaders, we must protect our region. Our quality of life is directly connected to our commitment to build a tomorrow that preserves the best of today. This vision includes protecting our natural resources, utilizing our county’s resources in a fiscally-smart manner, and wisely planning for our future. Thank you for standing with us.
Douglas County Steps Forward on Water Security
Ensuring that Douglas County has a professionally crafted countywide water plan – that includes a comprehensive assessment of current water assets – took a major step forward last week as the county’s Water Commission will soon onboard an expert consultancy firm to conduct critical studies.
The Water Commission was formed to bring together the plans of the several water providers serving Douglas County, folding in data on private wells that are prevalent in the more rural parts of the county. This information will be integrated into the 2050 Comprehensive Douglas County Water Plan.
When this work is completed, Douglas County will have taken an important step in developing its own actionable water plan.
Other neighboring counties, including
Arapahoe, Elbert and El Paso, already have their own water plans. The water plans of each county will guide how these growing communities secure the rights to a necessary resource that is facing increasing demand and scarcity, as they manage future development and economic growth. Plans will enable county leaders to have an authoritative, research-based assessment of existing water assets and a determination of any gaps in future supplies to meet expected growth.
Along those lines, Douglas County Commissioners are considering a worthwhile plan to utilize the Water Commission as an advisory body to review land use and engineering projects that relate to water. If approved, this new addition to the county planning process would provide a new tool to bring the topic of water security into project deliberations.
Taken together, the progress on the development and selection of the water plan consultant in addition to potentially allowing the Water Commission to be a resource for County Commissioners as decisions are made about the future demands on the county’s water supply, represents solid and responsible steps forward in this critical policy area.
Douglas County is finally taking a step forward
in water security.
Recent Headlines
Move-in on hold for dozens of homebuyers in Colorado county after water taps denied
Dozens of homebuyers in Jefferson County are sitting in limbo after learning their brand-new homes have no water.
…Water and sewer services for the Red Rocks Ranch falls on the Mount Carbon Metropolitan District. In a 2008 agreement they signed on to build a new water treatment facility with more capacity for the town of Morrison. In return, the town would sell them the water needed for the development. That new facility isn't done but the district is asking for more water taps for the development.
"The town has both the intention and the capacity to meet its obligation to the development, but we cannot do that until the district meets its infrastructure obligations," Town Trustee Katie Gill said in a special meeting held on Sept. 26.
At that meeting the town council approved 50 additional taps and then denied a request to convert already-operating irrigation meters into 39 domestic taps for homes.
"As a municipal water provider, it would be reckless of the town to issue taps behind our capacity to reliably serve water through those taps we cannot and we will not do that," Gill said.
One of those 39 taps would have gone to the Rawson's dream home. That was the latest information they had about their water. Without it, they cannot move in.
All the buckets, real or imagined: How Colorado plans to store water is a big dam question.
From Greeley to Pueblo, Front Range cities still need new water storage. From drill, baby, drill, to complex cooperation, here’s how they’ll try.
…But for Greeley, bent on doubling its current population of 109,000 by 2060, this is indeed the simpler choice.
Greeley will store and retrieve its biggest future water supply at Terry Ranch, at the Wyoming border, because it’s the most convenient way to create a new bucket in a state where just getting the permit for building a dam takes more than 20 years. The alternative was expanding Greeley’s North Fork Poudre River reservoir, Milton Seaman, deep in the mountains at a tortuously steep cost to the environment and Greeley water customers.
Why don’t we just pipe in water from the East to fix the Colorado River crisis?
The idea remains a tantalizingly simple way to alleviate the region’s water woes. Dig a little deeper and it quickly runs into serious obstacles.
…All that said, a pipeline is still physically possible. There is perhaps no better argument for an East-West water transfer than the fact that the Western U.S. is already crisscrossed by multiple huge pipes and canals that carry water across long distances.
…Even in a world where the West’s leaders could find a willing water seller, get the right permits and put shovels in dirt, experts say an East-to-West water pipeline would simply be too expensive.
Any solution to the Colorado River crisis will require massive amounts of public spending. The federal government alone has thrown billions of dollars at the problem in just the past few years. But water economists and other policy experts say a cross-country pipeline isn’t the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
Colorado uses about 5.34 million acre-feet of water on average each year. This includes water for drinking to water Coloradans use to boat, fish, ski and swim in. The agricultural industry is the state’s largest water user. Of that total statewide water use, about 4.84 million acre-feet, or 90%, goes to irrigate farms and ranches. Cities and towns use just 7%.
Upcoming News from DCFF
Every other week, DCFF will report on important news and challenges impacting our community. We hope you will stay engaged and connected with us.
