PROJ02019

• Contract/PO #: FS0069FX
• Contractor Name: Fountain, City of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING FACILITY

General

In 1917, Fountain purchased the first 0.5-cfs of the Womack Ditch, which is
the most senior irrigation water right on Little Fountain Creek. During 1914,
Fountain constructed about seven miles of 8-inch pipeline for delivery of this water
to Fountain as part of the City's municipal water supply. However, this supply was
subject to numerous problems associated with variable streamflow, ice
accumulation, and sand bed load. In response to these problems, Fountain
constructed Keeton Dam in 1935 as a regulating reservoir just upstream of the
Womack Ditch intake. Water released through the outlet works of the dam was
delivered a short distance downstream to a settling pond at the Womack Ditch
diversion point. Water was re-diverted and delivered through about 2,000 feet of
pipe to the splitter house that had been constructed in about 1914. In the early
1950's, this re-diversion was eliminated when a new 12-inch steel pipeline was
constructed from the dam to the splitter house. The splitter house is the location
where the water is divided between Fountain and Fort Carson.

Use of Water
Approximately 200 acre-feet per year are obtained from Little Fountain Creek
through the Keeton Dam diversion for use by the City. The City uses the Keeton
water for augmentation of Fountain Creek wells, and also delivers water to several
private residences. Water is piped from below the reservoir for several miles to
Fountain Creek to be used to offset depletions from four City-owned wells in the
Fountain Creek alluvium.

Dam Facilities
The Keeton Dam and Reservoir site is owned by Fountain. It is located about
6.5 miles south of Colorado Springs, west of Colorado Highway No. 115, in
Section 2, T. 16 S., R. 67 W. According to the original 1935 construction drawings,

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