DWR_4535774

• Board or Commission: Colorado Ground Water Commission
• Document Type - Board and Commission Meetings: Meeting Document
• Document Date: 8/15/2025
• Subject: Meeting Minutes

Ground Water Commission Meeting Minutes Page 5
August 14 &t 15, 2025
Commissioner Pautler called for agenda item no. 5, Commissioners' reports.
Commissioner Diaz addressed the Commission and mentioned the summer has been
dry in the Rio Grande Basin and the potato harvest looks to be starting off in a dry
year. Rains that did come in May were much needed, and helped prevent the river
from being lost. Conservation practices put together by different subdistricts did
assist with reducing overall pumping in the basin, and Commissioner Diaz is excited to
see what the aquifer levels look like in November.
Commissioner Denning addressed the Commission and mentioned there has been a
significant drop in the main channel of the aquifer in Lost Creek, which was
concerning. In June, a meeting was held with the Division of Water Resources
("DWR") and other high capacity stakeholders. Commissioner Denning mentioned the
meeting was mostly successful and productive. Since the meeting, the District has
been doing site surveys for various monitoring equipment options due to the
increasing cost of the existing equipment. Commissioner Denning commented that the
District has various monitoring systems that they would like to better integrate and
make available to stakeholders in the basin, which would also help the District
manage the basin using a team based approach rather than top down directive and
fines/penalties. Commissioner Denning noted that while working through this process,
it was noticed that the data in CDSS and Colorado Information Marketplace had
several errors related to well ownership, well locations, and uses. Commissioner
Denning asked if DWR could provide an update on the improvements being worked on
for DWR databases. Rains in the upper part of the alluvial basin have been helping the
aquifer. Several wells in the basin being converted to municipal use have not been
pumping yet, which has contributed to the stability of the water supply.
Commissioner Pautler asked if anyone from DWR would be able to provide an update
to the DWR database improvements that are in progress.
Mr. Javier Vargas-Johnson and Mr. Chris Grimes responded that a project is currently
in-progress to review and update records in the DWR permit database. Roughly 7,000
large capacity wells are permitted inside designated basins, and it will take some
time to make updates and correct records in the database. A spreadsheet has been
developed to track the updates and corrected permit files. Mr. Grimes also mentioned
that maintaining current well owner records in the database has always been a
challenge due to a lack of authority given to DWR to determine well ownership. Well
owners are required to update ownership records, but that is often not completed.
Commissioner Denning suggested DWR could pull in some extra help from summer
interns and legal entities representing owners to help with the project.
Mr. Grimes mentioned intern assistance with the project had been discussed with
Joanna Williams early in the project. Hiring freeze issues may present some
challenges with hiring help, but Staff is working on the project as time allows. The