Laserfiche WebLink
0 er,- _1c.sy WArAE;� , -77-S <br />INTRODUCTION AND SERVICE AREA CHARACTERISTICS <br />Securing safe and sufficient water supplies for future generations of Greeley residents in <br />the face of significant uncertainties such as drought and climate change is a major challenge. <br />Successful stewardship of precious water resources is a benchmark by which future generations <br />will judge the current population and water utility staff. This Water Conservation Plan for the <br />City of Greeley establishes clear goals and outlines programs and measures to ensure a healthy <br />and sufficient water supply for the future. <br />Greeley, originally known as Union Colony, was organized in 1870 by Nathan Meeker, <br />the agriculture editor for Horace Greeley's New York Tribune. Meeker dreamed of founding a <br />"utopian community based on temperance, religion, education, agriculture, irrigation, <br />cooperation, and family values." <br />As of 2007, the City of Greeley is spread over 46 square miles of Weld County, and <br />Greeley is the largest city in the county and is the county seat. The City's water supply system <br />stretches more than 60 miles from the western-most raw water collection and storage facilities to <br />the eastern-most reaches of its finished water distribution system. <br />Located on Colorado's high plains, Greeley's average annual precipitation is 14 inches <br />per year. In the 21" century, the Greeley area anticipates one of the highest average growth rates <br />on Colorado's Front Range at 2.25 percent, along with more demands on resources and <br />infrastructure. Greeley's 2007 population is estimated to be 91,109. By 2050, demographers <br />predict Greeley will be home to 239,000 people. A sustainable water supply, along with <br />treatment, collection and distribution systems, is of primary importance. <br />WATER SYSTEM PROFILE <br />Greeley's water sources include direct river diversions, ownership in the Colorado -Big <br />Thompson (C -BT) and Windy Gap projects, high mountain reservoirs, and rights in several <br />irrigation companies. Kodak, along with three nearby municipalities, Evans, and a portion of <br />Windsor, and Milliken, annually transfer their water rights to Greeley for treatment and delivery. <br />The City also owns and uses several wells for non - potable irrigation. <br />Water Rights <br />Greeley draws raw water from four main river basins on both sides of the Continental <br />Divide: the Cache la Poudre ( Poudre), Big Thompson, Upper Colorado, and Laramie. This <br />diversity of the supply sources increases the reliability and security of Greeley's system. A map <br />of the Greeley water supply system is shown in Figure 1. <br />Cache la Poudre River <br />Greeley owns senior direct flow and storage rights on the Poudre River. The direct flow <br />rights, the cornerstone of Greeley's portfolio, consistently yield 9,000 acre feet for treatment at <br />the Bellvue Filter Plant (Bellvue), one of the City's two water treatment plants. These rights at 6 <br />Water Conservation Plan 7 Aquacraft, Inc. <br />City of Greeley www.aauacraft.com <br />