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<br />
<br />! Makirig'a plea to Pueblo County I
<br />
<br />
<br />II · Reservoir in a prcsentntion on thc Preferred
<br />. Storage Options Plan and critical
<br />I,' eXpanSIOn supporters watcr resource needs for the future
<br />. of southeastern Colorado.
<br />state theIr case, "I want you to really hear from
<br />By ANDREA RICH the regional interests," Steve
<br />PUEBLO - Supporters for the Arveschoug, general manager of the
<br />re-operation and ex.pansion of Southeast Colorado Water Conser-
<br />Pueblo Reservo'ir filled Ihe Pueblo vancy District, told the commis-
<br />County Commissioners' chambers :;ioners. The District put together the
<br />Tuesday when Ihe valley _ upper PSOP, with the sup~rt of 41 com-
<br />and lower - turned out to keep mum~le~. orgaOJzatton~ and water
<br />Pueblo County on its side. aSSOCiations. ]0 developing the plan.
<br />Pueblo County in the past has Arvcschoug said~ recreation, envi-
<br />I supported the re-operalion of exist- ronmental and Wildlife needs were
<br />I. iog reservoir space to aJlow munic- taken mto consideration.
<br />ipal storage, as well as the federal The plan has three main compo-
<br />legislation to ask the Bureau of nents:
<br />Reclamation to.study the expansion . More effective use of existing
<br />of the reservoir tq "a~commodate room in the reservoir. Ellen \t\ a. wet
<br />water needs projected through year, Pueblo Reservoir has storage
<br />2040, The clly of Pueblo has space available that is not being
<br />opposed the federallelllSlatlOn, stat- used by Fryingpan-Arkansas Pro-
<br />109 11 Will have a detnmental effect jecl members, The legislalion
<br />on plans to ha~e enough water to would give the Bureau of Reclama~
<br />kayak on the. nv~r thr~ugh down~ tion. which operates the reservoir,
<br />town. The cllY ,IS asking Pue?lo the authority to contract with
<br />County to JOIn In the opposul~n municipalities and rent that space.
<br />that .has thus far ~n suc~essfullD In anticipation of this permission,
<br />slalllOg HR3881 III Washlllgton, Colorado Springs' Ulilities, Foun..
<br />I County and municipal officials tain, Security, Florence, Salida,
<br />" from west, easl anhed north of Pueblo Lamar, the Upper Arkansas Con-
<br />I were presentlO ar and participate servancy District. Canon City, Pon-
<br />
<br />
<br />~-llE~1
<br />ntE 1RILa Junia. CO
<br />(Cleft) ~nty) . .
<br />",.F,4,062 '
<br />
<br />.,......_- - -
<br />" pue61oCommis-sioners. -
<br />, ''These are tembly big commit-
<br />ments of a county our size,"
<br />" Heimerich said of Crowley sup-
<br />porting the PSOP and conduit.
<br />"Sometimes we have to reach out
<br />and grab onto other communities of
<br />
<br />1I0J872
<br />
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<br />Or. . , '\ '
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<br />l-'n...'",. "'\
<br />
<br />cha Springs and La Junta have
<br />requested a combined 38,425 alf of
<br />storage from, the 50,000 that gen-
<br />erally goes unused,
<br />
<br />. Sludyi~g the feasibility of
<br />adding new storage to Pueblo
<br />Reservoir and tater Turquoise
<br />Reservoir. To meet the projected
<br />water needs :of the basin. Pueblo
<br />Rescnoir would need to be
<br />expanded another 50,000 to 75,00
<br />acre-feel. In time, Turquoise would
<br />be expanded,another 19,000 alf, If
<br />expanded, most of the emities listed
<br />above needing existing space would
<br />ask for newly built space. Also
<br />seeking new space would be Pueblo
<br />Wcst, Pueblo Board of Water
<br />Works and Otero County, These
<br />entities predict needing 69,625 alf
<br />of the proposed 50,000-75,000
<br />expansion.
<br />,
<br />. Limiti~g any further out-of-
<br />basin transfers using the Fryingpan-
<br />Arkansas system without approval
<br />of SECWCD, "The bill also tries to
<br />make an attempt to protect this
<br />basin," Arveschoug lold the com.
<br />missioners.
<br />
<br />"We have been very thoughtful,"
<br />Arveschoug stressed to the com.
<br />missio"ners in considering the
<br />impacts of these changes,
<br />
<br />Where opposition hurts
<br />Five other representatives spok.,
<br />to the damage done to their intel
<br />ests if the PSOP legislation con tin
<br />ues its holding pattern in Washing
<br />ton.
<br />Joe Kelley, La Junta's directo
<br />of water and waste water treatment
<br />spoke on behalf of La Junta and llu
<br />communities that want to build;
<br />conduit to carry municipal watel
<br />from Pueblo Reservoir to Lamar -
<br />a concept originally part of the Fry,
<br />ingpan-Arkansas Legislation of th,
<br />1960s, Kelley explained Ihr
<br />pipeline would eliminate transit
<br />losses of precious water, improve.
<br />the efficiency and performance 01
<br />existing water tre.aiment plants, and
<br />make wasle wate~discharge clean-
<br />cr. The group can't plan a conduil
<br />without knowing how much water
<br />it will carrY. The" amOunt of water
<br />that can be purchased depends on if
<br />the reservoir has foom to keep it.
<br />Kelley said the pipeline needs
<br />18,000 alf a year to meet custome[
<br />demands ---,. almost twice what is
<br />now available in allotted project
<br />water.
<br />Terry Book. direcror of opera-
<br />lions for the Pueblo Board of Water
<br />
<br />Pleos. see LITTLf poge 5
<br />
<br />+
<br />
<br />pueblO reSI:!!oU111\.C. ....... ..."V
<br />thanked the commissioners for
<br />allowing more than an hour of
<br />their meeting for this presenta-
<br />tion. adding that Pueblo City
<br />Council has refused to hear these
<br />speakers on this subject.
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