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DENVER & THE WEST ~ Friday, March-12, 2004 www.denverpost.com/news ** THEDENVERPoST/Section~ ~~ ~~~ . "-~~~~1l_1f4~~_ji}~'Ai:~__If~_lE-t~1l~ft~tlt:~1:;~f~~~~~f~~~N}f{7[A~i}~it~~~_~tJ:__" Corps OKs Parker reservoir Rare permit granted for growing town to build water storage project" By Theo Stein and J. Sebastian Sinisi Denver Post Staff Writers For the first time in more than 20 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has permitted a new reservoir on the Front Range, signaling that a combina- tion of desperation, persistence and envi- ronmental mitigation is one path to short'term water storage solutions in the metro area. The thirsty city of Parker hopes, to be- gin construction of the Rueter-Hess Res- ervoir in a dry gulch 3 miles soutliwest of town later this year. But the city is counting on the $103 million project only to help reduce the alarming speed of aquifer depletion. Parker also is working on a new gener- ation of water projects to meet the chal- lenge posed by Douglas County's sizzling growth rate, according to Parker Water and Sanitation District manager Frank Jaeger. ' Parker's current population of 30,000 is predicted to more than double by 2050, even as its groundwater supplies dwin- dle. "We know we're going to have to have future water projects," said Jaeger, who has spearheaded the project since its in- ception in 1985. "But this sets a prece- dent for how water can be developed along the Front Range. " , Officials hope the new 16,000 acre- foot lake will help Parker solve two in- tractable problems: how to reduce pump- ing of limited groundwater during the peak summer season, and how to maxi- mize the use of water pumped from deep aquifers in the Denver Basin. In a transaction known as a "water ex- change," the new reservoir will allow Parker to capture an amount of water equal to what it discharges from its wastewater plant. The water will be drawn from eight new wells to be drilled along Cherry Creek. Under state law, water pumped from deep underground can be used repeated- ly until it is gone. By contrast, river wa- ter can be used only once before it must be released to flow downstream. The basin, which covers 6,700 square miles and reaches from Greeley to Colo-,: rado Springs, is made up of four uncon- - nected aquifers arranged like stacked" bowls. The Rueter-Hess Reservoir also would be filled with water that Parker already pumps from shalIow wells along Cherry Creek, with seasonal water from Newlin Gulch, and with water diverted directly from Cherry Creek during wet years. The earthen dam will be 135 feet high and stretch 5,300 feet, creating a future lake of 470 acres, or half the size of Cher- ry Creek Reservoir in Aurora. But Rueter-Hess will hold only about SEE RESERVOIR ON 58 1 Parker obtains approval for water storage project RESERVOIR FROM PAGE18 , 10 percent of Cherry Creek Reservoir's vol- ume. The Army Corps estimates the amount of water that Parker could rely on from the reservoir each year would be just over 4,000 acre-feet - or enough to supply 8,000 fami- lies for a year. A big unknown is how long it will take for the lake to fill once the dam is completed - around 2007. Under the state's water appropriation sys- tem, Parker is essentialIy last in line for water on Cherry Creek. The last year it was wet enough for Parker to exercise its water rights was 1999, Jaeger said. "In a normal weather pattern, I might be able to fill that reservoir in two years," he said. "If our recent weather pattern holds, I won't be able to put in a drop from Cherry ---~--~~--c-reek;"'.- ,_.._-- >.>-~ Unlike Denver's massive Two Forks dam proposal that was kilIed in 1990, the Parker reservoir dodged environmental controver- sy because the dam wiII be not be built across the main stem of Cherry Creek, but in a nearby gulch. Parker also paid for new, more efficient center-pivot irrigation systems for several farmers in northeastern Colorado's Logan County. Water saved by the conversion wiII offset increased water use upstream, and compensate for potential damage to endan- gered-species habitat in Nebraska,. Denver Water Manager Chips Barry said he was "delighted to learn that Army Corps permits are stiII available." But he cau- tioned against thinking that Parker's suc- cess can be a template for all future water projects. "It's not going to be easy to take what they did and slap it on something else," said Barry. "The future of other new projects wiII depend on their merits." One remaining hurdle is a May 4 vote by Parker residents to approve a surety bond that would repay construction loans from the Colorado Water and Power Authority if new tap fees falI short. Parker Town Councilman Dave Casiano said-paying~for-a -bond to~cover-a~loaifis- much cheaper than drilling 177 more deep welIs, at $1 miIlion a welI, to keep the town's taps flowing. "People who understand we need a de- pendable water supply will vote in favor," said Parker Mayor Gary Lasater. "Lots of Cherry Creek water is now trickling away to somewhere else because we now have no place to store it." Corps approves new Parker reservoir Parker has received approval for the Rueter-Hess Reservoir. the first new water-storage project on the Front Range in decades. The $103 million project is designed to help relieve pressure on Douglas County's depleted groundwater supply.