Water District Takes Steps to Enlarge Two Reservoirs: Denver Post

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<, air- quanty permit sparxed fevered de- ny plans to produce 1 million tons annu- "That Lb .,,,. _. The Denver Post bate and puemonstration in ally of Portland Cement, which is used the cleanest air we can," rieu..— _ Water district takes steps Looking ahead The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is making plans to enlarge to eng lar a two reservoirs By Erin Emery PUEBLO Denver Post Southern Colorado Bureau r P The Southeastern Colorado Water Conser- vancy District has taken the first of many steps necessary to enlarge Pueblo and Tur- quoise reservoirs to meet expected popula- tion growth. The district's board intends to appropriate water rights for enlargement of the reser- voirs and to seek an exchange of Fryingpan- Arkansas .Project water. The Fryingpan- Arkansas Project is made up of dams, reservoirs and water - diversion tunnels. Each year, it collects about 69,000 acre -feet of water from the Western Slope and delivers it via the Arkansas River to the Front Range and Eastern Plains. "We don't need the enlarged space 'until 2013 -2014, but in this business, you don't do anything overnight," said Steve Arves- choug, general manager of the district, which manages the water supply for nine counties and stretches from Buena Vista along the Arkansas River to Lamar. It also includes El Paso County because Fountain Creek is a major tributary. "We're doing this to respond to growth pressures in our basin," Arveschoug said. Projections show that in 40 years, the dis- trict's population will double and an addi- tional 122 acre -feet of water will be needed annually. Turquoise Reservoir, near Lead - ville, would be enlarged by 19,000 acre -feet and Pueblo Reservoir by 54,000 acre -feet. An acre -foot is enough water for a year for an average family of four. The conservancy district will ask Congress for authority to conduct' a study that will, de- termine whether the district's plan to store more water will work That study should take about three years. Once the study is completed' and approved, the district would. have to go back to Congress to ask for au- thority to enlarge the reservoirs. It will cost an estimated $90 million to ex- pand the reservoirs, "d that money would come from cities served by the district. Pueblo and Turquoise reservoirs. The district manages the water supply for nine counties and stretches from Buena Vista along the Arkansas River to Lamar. It also includes El Paso County. Some of the water would come from west of the Continental Divide, via the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project, a series of dams and water - diversion tunnels.