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<br />...J <br /> <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br /> <br />Upper Gunnison River Water ConseNancy District <br /> <br />) <br /> <br />Subtracting 68.75 acre feet for 6% passive conservation and adding on 239 acre feet <br />for snow making, the total future demand would equal 1316 acre feet. This is 200 acre <br />feet more than the current amount identified by SWSI of 1112 acre feet for the increase <br />in gross demand. <br /> <br />Additionally, we are concerned that the projected growth for the Upper <br />Gunnison Basin between now and 2030 is too low. There are discrepancies befween <br />the prOjections used by SWSI and those used by Gunnison County in Its internal planning <br />processes. As part of the development of its Comprehensive Plan Gunnison County <br />developed population projections. These projections show a Population of 20,346 by <br />the year 2020, whereas the projections used in the current SWSI analysis show a <br />population for Gunnison County of only 19,682 ten years later in 2030. Similarly, <br />Gunnison County's study indicates an average growth rate in the 1990s of 2.1% <br />compared to the lower 1.15% used by SWSI to project future growth for the county. <br />(Please see attached summary sheet from Mr. Dave Michaelson, Gunnison County <br />long Term Planner). When we met with Mr. DiNatale, he indicated that several other <br />counties, such as Ouray, had found similar discrepancies. Therefore, it may be worth <br />reevaluating the reliance on the State Demographer's projections where counties can <br />provide theJr own projectjons~ <br /> <br />We also are uncertain that the use of 179 gallons per day per person for <br />calculating the future demand accurately reflects the water demands for high <br />tourism/resort type regions. Mr. DiNatale Indicated to us that the 179 gallons used by <br />SWSI includes adequate water for the areas tourism and second homeowners. <br />However, because of the large amount of tourism and second home ownership in the <br />Upper Gunnison Basin, using the "resident" population or per capita method may <br />prOVide a misleadingly Jow demand. Numbers used locally, in both Gunnison and <br />Hinsdale Counties, indicate that the local population may double or triple during <br />hunting season, ski season and summer months. (Please see the attached news article <br />entitled "Student Study Calculates How Many Consumers Visit County.") Additionally, <br />few of the approximately twenty-five hundred (2500) students at Western State College <br />qualify as Gunnison County residents so they are also over looked In population <br />projections obtained from the Colorado State Demographer. <br /> <br />There are also fwo specific areas within the Upper Gunnison Basin where we <br />have specifically identified future unmet demands. These are the Town of Mount <br />Crested Butte and the Crested Butte Mountain Resort. According to Frank Glick, the <br />manager of Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District eMf. Crested Butte"), <br />the future unmet need of Mf. Crested Butte is approximately 200 acre feet. Although <br />Mt. Crested Butte has several mid to long-term projects if is exploring, none of the short- <br />term projects currently identified within the Gunnsion Basin can be used to meet Mt. <br />Crested Butte's future needs. The mid to long-term reservoir projects currently being <br />explored by Mt. Crested Butte are already listed on the Gunnison Basin Options <br />Catalog. <br /> <br />2 <br />200 East Virginia Avenue V Gunnison, Colorado 81230 . <br />Telephone (970) 641-6065 V Fax (970) 641-7606 V <br />ugrwcd@co.gunnison.co.us <br /> <br />1\ ' <br />k: ~'.','.:-l.. .,,1. "c'.. ...) <br />~.,.f':" / <br />