You are receiving this newsletter because you are a recognized Douglas County community leader and stakeholder.
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.
"All of the Above" Strategy Needed to Address Massive Water Deficit in Metro Area
A growing water deficit that experts say will grow to a shortage of nearly 600,000 acre feet in the coming decades shows the need for an “all of the above” approach to considering new water projects – for Douglas County and the entire state. That was the message at the recent Special District Association (SDA) 2022 annual conference attended by leaders in the water community throughout the state, including elected leaders of water boards.
A presentation by the proposed Platte Valley Water Partnership included several details brought into clearer focus as experts closely questioned project advocates.
These included:
The project will require 120 miles of pipeline, far more than other proposed projects.
The project has very junior water rights which makes the acquisition of needed water more challenging.
Water will be obtained from an unusual long-term lease agreement rather than the more secure method of purchasing the water outright.
Advocates have not secured local agreement from Eastern Plains communities to treat the water to bring it to the quality level needed for Douglas County communities. The water is so contaminated that piping it untreated back to Douglas County would corrode the 120 mile long pipeline.
A project cost of approximately $1 billion dollars which could substantially be higher as the project moves beyond the mere planning stage.
Most concerning is that advocates are “hoping” to avoid a full environmental review by federal authorities. All these factors, plus the construction and expansion of three reservoirs for water storage, painted a picture of a project that won’t deliver water to Douglas County before 2050.
As PVWP continues to be examined in Douglas County and on the Eastern Plains, the questions clearly show a need to consider a far wider range of water options if our county is to preserve our quality of life and economic vitality in the years to come.
Recent Headlines
Drought threatens future of Colorado's $20 billion ski Industry
... Without as much water in the Colorado River Basin, Colorado ski resorts already are seeing a change in snowpack’s quality, quantity, and longevity. While they usually supplement the natural snow with machine-blown powder, those resources, too, are limited by the drought.
In Wyoming, Flaming Gorge Reservoir’s water recedes as Colorado River Basin contends with drought
... As a 20-year drought creeps ever farther up the Colorado River Basin and seven Western states vie for their fair share of water under the century-old Colorado River Compact, this boating and fishing paradise on the Wyoming-Utah line is a new flashpoint.
… But as business owners like Valdez are finding out firsthand, recreation is just one of many competing priorities while growing demand in the basin’s more populous downstream states — California, Nevada and Arizona — conflicts with dwindling supply from the more rural states upstream — Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
...“It’s a complicated mess. And right now the environment is akin to a snake den because everybody is just out for themselves,” said Kyle Roerink, director of the Great Basin Water Network conservation group.
The Colorado River is drying up — but basin states have ‘no plan’ on how to cut water use
... The Colorado River system supplies nearly 40 million people across the West with drinking water and irrigates around 5 million acres of farmland. People are taking too much water out of the system, and prolonged drought fueled by climate change has sapped the river’s supplies.
“That’s incredibly scary,” Mueller said of the prospect of cutting planned usage to a collective 9 million acre-feet. “That’s huge economic disruption. That’s communities suffering in all the basins.”
Andy Mueller is the Colorado River District General Manager
Did You Know? The Rueter-Hess Reservoir was completed in 2012 at a cost of $170m and is currently less than 1/3 full? The primary purpose of Rueter-Hess Reservoir is drinking water storage for the Parker Water and Sanitation District and their storage partners.
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.
