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<br />Water h.b dl\"ldl'd .md unlled
<br />the Cny of Puehlo hlcTally
<br />smce tht' omn oj the nalwn
<br />The IIrsl dl\15Hm d,nes back 10 the
<br />LOUISIana Purchase 01 IRl13 Flowm~
<br />thmugh the mlddle of present-da)'
<br />Pueblo. the .-\rlwns.b Rm.'f k'rmcd the
<br />SllUIOl.'rn boundary ,,1 th", purchase
<br />- lands nt1nh of the owr hc-longed to the
<br />l:ntltd Slal6. south of the o\"cr remamed
<br />part of \kXIlL'
<br />Tht' ellY 01 PU<,b\" !!:rew amid the
<br />rums of J tradmg post Abandoned alta
<br />;1 massaae In 1854. the 'lon' s.l! on [he
<br />nonh banks LIt th,' Arkan:;as Rlwr .11 ItS
<br />lonnuem'e wlIh fount.un Creek
<br />Pucbl(l pioneers Itr,,! 4uenchcd tht'lf
<br />Ihml wuo murky waLn s.,'lX'pcd dlft'lIly
<br />[wm the .-\rkan~.\5 Rlwr Water by thl'
<br />barrel C<.N 25 cent~ Sh,>nl\ .Ilter the Ci\'11
<br />\\"ar. as the ~Ilh:'mcnl bn:aml' ml1tc suh.
<br />stanllal, reSIdents hauled thclr W,llef ffl~m
<br />Ih... Mill Dlt(h, whICh carned ,-\rkansas
<br />Rlyer wa!er thr,~uJ;h the C\~mmunlty
<br />By the tmll" Ihl' Cuy ,11 rUl'hlLl \\~lS
<br />llK,'rp<"lrated In ] H70. wal...r barrds for
<br />bolh domestl( use and hre (,-.ntrol ~L,l{xi
<br />beSIde m,'st buildmg~, .lln'rdmg t,l 1"(;11
<br />hIstorian J",mne \\"'SI D,>Jds Resld"nts
<br />could al<;{l pur..:hasc walCf fwm pm'at...
<br />purwyors who ddlwred supphes fr,lm
<br />horse-drJ\\Tl \\"Jg'lnS
<br />But :<>en,'us dklrts wer,' nc,'d,'d III
<br />Improw Ihls unlr.';llcd and plllcnllally
<br />dISfJ""'-(JUS1n/t waler supply Tilt" plJn
<br />\\,15 hl ..:('nlrJ(! \nth a pnv,lt,' dlt..:h
<br />u'mpany t,l "In~tnt(t ,1 1_"\-r1l1h: ,,:,mal
<br />tJppmg ncarhy Rlxk LJn~-,'n FIO,IO,-lal
<br />dlffi('ullles delay,'J the 1.IOJI's Cllmp1c-
<br />(Kin unnl I t'l7 3 b-emually. thc canal \\',b
<br />abandoned and Ihe wltlpanys as'>l:I~ s,lld
<br />,liter bU11d1n~S bek,w Ih,' l:.ln,ll were dam-
<br />aged by st>epagc
<br />Slill \\1th,lU! J ""Ill' ",luree "I dnnkll1g
<br />water_ In IfI-:-... Puebl" 1,I\pJyers appm\'t'd
<br />constnldlOn 01 \Tl anolher W.1tet \",lrb
<br />project BUIlt at a COSL of ~ml(, S13('\.0l1l.",
<br />complelwn 01 the Hl'lIy \\',ltl:t \\"rb
<br />marked a new era fllf Ih,' hustlmg IlI\\Tl
<br />In .1ddlllon I" ftr... prote(!lOn, lh,' pr,lJed
<br />mcluded a bibl( W:Her Ireatmem pLint.
<br />FIrst, the sy51em dlwrled WJI.:r dIrectly
<br />from the Arbn;..ls Rlwr to a flllenn~ well
<br />Frum th,'re J bn..:k condun ..:amed Lt 10
<br />a pump Slalwn f,lr d15mbun,ln through
<br />
<br />a I,'ur-Ollle pipe-1m,' sy~tem Acc'~fdmg I"
<br />hlSlllnJn R;l\ph C TJybr. '\.;o k'ngo:r did
<br />ml'n h,ml muddy nvcr wa[t'f In whISkey
<br />bJrrels tl' the- hou,;.:s ,~I Ihe re,.ldcnb
<br />Just JS wday. busm...sses neeJed .O:l"xi
<br />mlrJstntdUfl' In ,lrdt'f ILl thnve A ~nse
<br />,~l ":{lmmunity pnde shows thwugh m Ihl~
<br />adWrllst"ITIl'n! lrum Ihe Ill".11 -\\',1"("0: ~md
<br />PJrlner bunJry -\\.e h;lh' Imr,>dll~ed
<br />water Ir,lm Ih,' Holly \\;u,'r \\<lrb mIL'
<br />our h,lu".c JnJ haw reccntly PUtCh,I<'I:d ;1
<br />L-\RGE steam D,llla whKh l'n;lhles us to
<br />fmlsh JlI thl' \\.:t5hmg by S.lturday mllro.
<br />m~ ul ,';l<-h and ewry wCl'k
<br />AmI ruebll' was thn\"1n~ As early
<br />as 11'l71", tht' nn~lOal !I,)lly system WJS
<br />already mad...quate Tll suppleml'nt J
<br />StOnes ,'I wells \wn' Slink al,'n~ In... rlwr
<br />BUI thos< t(lu S(l,'n 1lf1;'wd msufhuenl
<br />1,1 <.erw the ~f<'\\ln~ (lty In I HH I Ihrce
<br />surtai.."l' waler rC'st'f\',llrs Wt're ((lnstl1Ji.."ted
<br />we..t .11 Pueb]" Two <.edlmem~lU,~n Pllnds
<br />added In ] t{H~ rem,un In use 1"d~lY rh...
<br />th,lIy system ewmua[]y hccaml' kn,l\\ n ,b
<br />the ~onh Sa.!... \\aler DIstmt-;lIHJ Lller
<br />the Puehlo \\'.:tta \\"llfb
<br />\kanwhile ncw !.','mmllOllles Wl'rl'
<br />spwUlln~ Sl.llllh llf the f1\-t'f Tnl' t1.lwn.. of
<br />(l'mral Ptll'bl" ,mJ :"luth ruehll' den')-
<br />llpcd thetr l'wn w;ller JrhwfY ~y~t,'nb_
<br />brgdy Im;lOced by thl.'" ",,11 ,Illd stl'c1
<br />(llmr;mh,'~ Wh.l werl' rapidly de\"1..I'~pm~
<br />the ,Hea
<br />h't while Ihl' I,'wn<; n,mh .1I1d ....'uth
<br />,'llhe nYef lllt'fged I" I,'rm \\'h,1I w,' n,'\\
<br />thmk "f ,I.. thl' Llly ,~l Pm'hl" In I I:l~('l.
<br />~uch llnl1~ duded the w;ll,'r dbtno:lS
<br />Thl')' (,lIl11nued 1<1 ,lpt.'fall' mdqxndemly
<br />unlll I o:n; when C\l1:\'n~ \'oted III n~n....~h-
<br />dall' thl' dl<.ln<:!S Int" th,' Puehlo &larJ 01
<br />\\-Jter \\",lrks
<br />l'ut the l1ewl~'-I,'nneJ &':ud of \\~ll...r
<br />\"'rk" ~l~,~n f,'und II hold .I \'cry "id tran..-
<br />mlS~I,'n ,lOd dlstnbUIl,~n ~ysI<."m h,lrely
<br />able t" me,'t thl;' demand~ 01 r,'slJenb
<br />,md huslOcsX'::.. ,..Jy" Alan liJmel. who
<br />hJS "'\'f\'ed as Ihe h,urds eXCCUIl\"e Jlrec-
<br />tor i,lr the pasl It' \'CJfS The "ystem dlJ
<br />nl)1 have em'u~h water deliwry (.1pac-
<br />ay klr ~r"wth. J. problem Ihat lxeJme
<br />una\"l'ld,lhly app,lrent when Easlm,1O
<br />"(,dJk 10 1968 fl'\e(led Puebk' In i,l\',-.r
<br />"~I the nl'nhl'rn C"k'r;ld,l ((Immunity (It
<br />\\'mdSllr as Ihe SIlt: llf Ib ne\\ iJd,lry
<br />In a town slru~lm" w rl'(lWCf fWIll
<br />
<br />HEADWATERS SPRING 2004
<br />
<br />lIS falhng sted mduslry. that l,lS5 led t,l
<br />a turn,\\'l'f ,lm,lOg the h,'ard trustees,
<br />,lOd SlgTllft.-,mt LOWSlmem m tmpr(l\"ing
<br />Pueblo's muO!up,ll lransmIS,;I,lIl and dts-
<br />tnbull,'ll system \hldemi:Jllllll mcluded
<br />constnldWn "I a nt'w waLef treatment
<br />pbm wmplcll'd 111 197; and furtha
<br />....\panded In 1<./:''1 .-\n,lther SH mIllion
<br />Up~r;1J,' and expan"llln cumplcted last
<br />y,';tt t~ e\p<:ded [(l m...l'l Puehl"',, Ilel'ds
<br />f,lr the 1l<'Xl 25 years
<br />f"d,l)'. ;lllll<'st ~l1 pnlelll <,f ru,'bk,'s
<br />dnnkmg WJter (<'mc~ dlrl.'"dly twm the
<br />:\rkJns.b Rlwr, \\lth waler n!-thts datm!".
<br />III 1874 ,lOci before rhe b,lard also ha...
<br />nghls to IranshJsln WJter dlwrll'd fwm
<br />the \\,'stern ~I(lp<' An addlllllnal 61,0\..10
<br />.lac feet l,an Jlre lOll! e4uals appW_l(I-
<br />millcly 32b.l1l1l1 g;lllons) are sl<'f,'d In
<br />the' kd...r,llly-lum1cd Frymgpan-Ark.m....ls
<br />prOJect. .IS \\'l'1l a~ TWlIl Llk..:s. Ckar
<br />Cr,'ek. Puebb, ,lnd l\.;lOh,...., rl'Sl'"f\'(llfS
<br />This supplies some St' btlllllll g;ll-
<br />I,'m I'] W,ll<'r ,1Onually II.' ;llnlllsl il16,Ol't'
<br />I'ul'hlo reSidents Rcsltknlla! use aCCllunts
<br />f\lr:Sllllle 64 p..'rn'lll "j Illtal w;lter dl'mand,
<br />\\ ah till' f<.'st g.,'mg t" parks, lllumcip.ll
<br />1;l<'IIIII,'~ ~lOd e"lmml'fn~llfindllstnal
<br />\."lbt,lnler.. ..uch ;1.. Rl,\."k)' \t,lunl;lln
<br />~t,'d \tilb and thl' Cllloradll \\ental
<br />H;':~lhh 1nstllute Th..: b"ard alw ptll\'ldc:>
<br />untreated f;J\\ W~Lll'f III Ih,' (,'mano.:he
<br />PI~wa !'l.101 ~<lllth (lIthe o.:ll)
<br />Bad, tn 1147.. rl'~ldenl1JI wain COSI
<br />,1h"UI ~2 per m<lllth T'll.hy, PUt'hl" rale~
<br />Jre "llll '>t;'c,'nd-l,I\\'I',,1 am,lng Fr,lnt R;1O~l'
<br />;.:l1le" .-\! ar,'und ~2(1 m,lnthl~- fN up to
<br />13.l1,'It.) g,lll,'ns Pl.ll"hl,l ,,'m6 m well
<br />/x'],l\\ Ihe Fmnt Ran~l' a\"{'r.l~e l,l S33 a
<br />munth
<br />The &)Jrd l'{ W,lter \"lrks e..llmate"
<br />th,'lf o.:urrent \\all'r nghts ;Ire JJl'quale
<br />W <.ef\'e ,1 Pl'pul.llWn "I 2..5,Ollll dunn!".
<br />,1 dWllghl year. ,mJ Il,1I m,','t rll...bl,,'~
<br />ne,'ds thrnu~h 2,1"ll HlI\\l'Wr. the board
<br />IS larmg lOueasm,g pt<:~5Ut\' t" uke a m"re
<br />vtxal rok 1I\ prewnl1ng furthn transfers
<br />of W,Ul'f 'lllt ,1f Ih.' Ark.ms.lS \'alle.- lIS J
<br />wIt': thJt ~tJmel \\dClln1l'5 and hellen's
<br />c,m b<: .lCc(>lllphsh...d thwugh (oopcrallnn
<br />ralhl'f Ih,1O (ontmu...d ,.,mfIld_ \\,,-re In
<br />tr.msltl,'n. he S.lYs -Just ,15 many enllILes
<br />.Ire ;.:onnng w~t,thef to Ihe Denver ;lfeJ.
<br />WI.' nl'ed I., ..:,lme WiCl'lhcr n,'\\ D
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