Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />The LA VWCD has expressed concem that the Southern Delivery System, Colorado Springs' plan to build <br />a 66-inch-diameter, 43-mile long pipeline to import 78 million gallons per day, will exacerbate the water <br />quality problem. <br /> <br />Pueblo Board of Water Works Considers Enlarging Clear Creek Reservoir: In early January, the <br />Pueblo Board of Water Works announced that it is stepping up its plans to enlarge Clear Creek Reservoir <br />in northern Chaffee County and filed an application for flood rights and to more than double the size of <br />Clear Creek Reservoir in Division 2 Water Court. <br /> <br />The reservoir's capacity would be increased to 30,000 acre-feet - six months' supply for Pueblo - from its <br />present 11,400 acre-feet. The expansion would cost about $46 million and construction could be 20 to 25 <br />years in the future. <br /> <br />Several events precipitated the action: <br /> <br />. Environmental regulations have made it impractical to build a 35,000 AF reservoir planned in <br />1998 on Tennessee Creek in Lake County because of wetlands impacts. <br />. Continued drought on the Western Slope, which could mean less water for transmountain <br />diversions. <br />. The potential of increased water sales to Xcel Energy's Comanche Power Plant south of Pueblo. <br />. Recent filings for in-channel water rights on the Arkansas River by Chaffee County and the Upper <br />Arkansas Water Conservancy District. <br /> <br />The Clear Creek Reservoir originally was built by farmers along the Otero Canal in 1902 and was sold to <br />Pueblo in 1955. Its earthen dam was bolstered in 1984 and 1997. The current plan would increase the <br />height of the dam to 110 feet from 83 feet and the length of the dam to 4,000 feet from 2,700 feet. <br /> <br />The maximum surface area ofthe lake would increase to 630 acres, from approximately 400 acres now. <br />The flood right would be dated Sept. 19, 2000, added to storage rights that date back to 1902 and 1910. <br /> <br />Under Colorado water law, flood rights allow water users to capture specified volumes as flows increase. <br />The earlier the right, the greater the potential for claiming water. However, the user must have a place to <br />store the water. Pueblo also can store native water, tributary water and transmountain water in Clear <br />Creek. <br /> <br />Lower Ark District Objects to Reservoir Enlargement: On Dec. 21, 2004 the LA VWCD sent a letter <br />to Colorado's congressional delegation objecting to funding a study to enlarge Lake Pueblo because the <br />Board believes it was left out of the legislative drafting process. As a result, U.S. Rep. John Salazar and <br />U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar have indicated they would oppose PSOP legislation that did not include the Lower <br />Ark district. <br /> <br />The PSOP legislation as written would provide $5 million to study enlarging Lake Pueblo, Turquoise <br />Lake and allowing greater storage of excess river flows in Fry-Ark projects by Aurora and other cities. <br /> <br />The Lower Ark letter states four objections to PSOP legislation: <br /> <br />I. Outside entities have influence over storage of excess river flows, even though the Fry-Ark project <br />was intended to enhance flows within the basin. <br /> <br />2. The Lower Ark district was excluded from drafting the legislation. <br /> <br />3. The district should have been consulted even though it was formed after Fry-Ark became a reality. <br /> <br />4. The district was not given an opportunity to comment on the legislation. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />19 <br />