Tuesday May 25, 2004
CO:
City
Council Approves Regional Intergovernmental Water Agreement
Source: Colorado Springs Utilities
For the past 90 days, the City of Pueblo, Pueblo Board of Water Works and Colorado Springs met numerous times with Aurora Utilities, City of Fountain and the SECWD to ensure that existing water rights are protected when the flow management program is implemented. To protect existing water rights owned by Colorado Springs, Fountain and Aurora, and as part of the regional IGA, all entities have agreed to eventually construct regional storage facilities downstream on the Arkansas River to recapture water otherwise lost during flow management implementation.
In addition to downstream storage facilities, highlights of the March 1 IGA and the regional IGA include:
- A regional flow management program for the Arkansas River through Pueblo with all parties’ participation.
- Prior to the construction of downstream storage, the parties will work together by using Pueblo Reservoir storage to “recover” water when the flow management program is implemented.
- City of Pueblo’s support for the Southern Delivery System and Colorado Springs’ request to connect the project pipeline at or near Pueblo Reservoir.
- City of Pueblo’s support for the federal Preferred Storage Options Plan legislation. The legislation includes two primary components: 1) provisions for long-term storage contracts at Pueblo Reservoir for water not derived from the Fryingpan-Arkansas River Project and 2) feasibility studies for enlarging Pueblo and Turquoise Reservoirs.
- Colorado Springs’ support for economic development, tourism, transportation and other initiatives of mutual benefit to the Pikes Peak region, Pueblo, and the lower Arkansas Valley.
The Southern Delivery System is a regional water delivery project that would use the storage capacity of Pueblo Reservoir - a facility El Paso County citizens help pay for - to deliver water owned by the communities of Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security to the Pikes Peak region. The project would not take or divert another community’s water.
The Southern Delivery System includes a 43-mile-long, 66-inch diameter raw water pipeline, associated pump stations, a water treatment plant, and two water storage reservoirs. Phase 1 of the project has a 2009 completion date. The project is currently undergoing an environmental evaluation through the National Environmental Policy Act process, and must complete this process before construction begins.
Contact:
719-448-4800