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Page 3 of 6
<br />Already, Denver Water and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which serves
<br />northeastern towns and farmers, divert 267,000 acre- feet per year, or roughly 65 percent of
<br />Grand County's water, through three big tunnels that pierce the Continental Divide.
<br />(An acre -foot is 325,861 gallons, or enough water to supply two average families for a year.)
<br />But the two water giants plan to up their take - to as much as 85 percent under new water
<br />development plans.
<br />"That's a 20 percent increase in what Denver takes, and about a 50 percent reduction in what we
<br />have," said Winter Park Mayor Nick Teverbaugh.
<br />Officials in the three other headwaters counties see Winter Park's struggles as an example of
<br />what could happen to them.
<br />Consider: High and wet
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<br />• Twenty -five percent of resort- dependent Summit County's water is theOnttt5etlt.ti omajor
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<br />Eagle County could see half its water shipped east in 25 years, double
<br />the current amount.
<br />• Pitkin County, which already gives 50 percent of its water to the east
<br />slope, could lose another 10 percent, experts said.
<br />• Summit, Grand, Eagle, Pitkin and Jackson counties also experienced
<br />the fastest growth rate in the state from 1990 to 2000, with an overall 73
<br />percent increase in population.
<br />Denver Water's priorities
<br />In Grand County, the new water Denver is planning to take would be
<br />captured during the spring snowmelt season - when river flows are
<br />normally at their highest.
<br />"We won't see any high water unless their reservoirs are full,” said Mike
<br />Wageck, supervisor of the Winter Park Water and Sanitation District.
<br />"Whatever goes past us down the river, the Northern Colorado Water
<br />Conservancy District will pick up."
<br />And that's not much.
<br />Adding to local officials' sense of impotence is the cold fact that Denver
<br />Water holds all the legal, financial and political cards.
<br />Denver's portfolio of senior water rights is a luxury that other thirsty
<br />Front Range communities like Parker and Aurora don't have. But it makes
<br />the metro water utility a target for criticism, said Denver Water planner
<br />Dave Little.
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<br />http:/ /Www.denverpost.comledalarticle /print /0, 1674 ,36 %7E23447 %7E2335775,00.html 8/16/2004
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