 Why? Top Ten Reasons Why Dry Gulch Reservoir is Needed
Reason 10: Growth in water demand
Between 1985 and 2005, Archuleta County experienced an average annual population increase of 6.4% (U.S. Census Bureau). Between 1985 and 2007, the PAWSD experienced an average annual increase in new Equivalent Units of 6.6% (not counting the 1993 inclusion of the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta Water Company). Over the next twenty years, this average growth rate is expected to continue. An average of growth taken over several years, rather than an average over one or two years, will incorporate short-term economic fluctuations.
PAWSD currently serves approximately 75% of the County population. In addition to permanent residents and businesses, PAWSD provides water to tourists and part-time residents. Tourism is and will continue to be a major economic driver for the community. Therefore, the water demand related to a growth in tourism accommodations and services must also be planned for.
Finally, community economic diversity and growth must not be limited by water supply. In order to attract commercial businesses, the community must be able to ensure adequate water supplies into the future.
Visit Nuts and Bolts - Water Demand Projections for further statistical information on growth projections.
Reason 9: Current Supply Margins are Insufficient for Multi-Year Drought
With the enlargement of Stevens Reservoir, PAWSD will have a one-year safety supply of stored water until approximately 2014. This extra year of stored water is important in case there are droughts such as have occurred throughout the region’s history. Should there be a prolonged drought such as the one occurring right now in the southeast United States, or as has been seen throughout the region’s history, PAWSD may not have the storage capacity to supply water over multiple dry years. Because our community is at the headwaters of our watershed, the only water we can count on is the water we have stored.
Reason 8: Existing Facilities Nearly Maxed Out
The current PAWSD diversion capacity (maximum amount of raw water that can be removed from the rivers) is 6.9 cubic feet per second (cfs). At the peak time of the year in the summer, current demand reaches 6 cfs.
Diversion from the West Fork to the Snowball Water Treatment Plant is 2.3 cfs. At the peak time of year, current demand in District Two (served by Snowball WTP) exceeds 2.3 cfs. Fortunately, the water distribution system is somewhat integrated, allowing conveyance of potable water from District One (served by the San Juan Intake, Hatcher Reservoir and Stevens Reservoir upon completion); however, increased diversion capacity for this area is needed soon.
The current PAWSD storage capacity is comprised of five small reservoirs totaling about 4,000 acre-feet (AF), which includes the increase from the Stevens Reservoir enlargement project (expected to be completed by late 2008). Current demand for water, including the raw water obligation to the golf course, is 2,900 AF. The 4,000 AF storage capacity is expected to meet demand until about 2014, at which time the one-year safety supply margin will not be met (see #9 above).
Reason 7: HB 08-1141: Current Supply May be Insufficient to Meet Future Demand
In May, Governor Ritter signed House Bill 08-1141 into law. This bill requires any developer planning any project greater than 50 single family equivalents to prove, prior to gaining a development permit for the project, that there is an adequate future water supply to serve that development at full build-out. The requirements of HB 1141 have not been fully developed by State agencies yet, but it is likely that PAWSD cannot meet those requirements until the Stevens Reservoir enlargement is completed. With Stevens Enlargement there is projected to be sufficient capability until about 2014. Between 2014 and 2022 (when Dry Gulch Reservoir may be completed), PAWSD may again have difficulty meeting the HB 1141 requirements.
Reason 6: Source Water Insurance
The PAWSD service area lies at the headwaters of the San Juan River and Stollsteimer Creek watersheds. Two of the three water diversions (our Source Water) are taken from the San Juan River. If an event occurred, such as a landslide, a hazardous waste spill or a wildfire on the scale of Missionary Ridge that contaminated the San Juan River for a prolonged period of time, the community would need to rely on stored water. Having a storage amount of raw water adequate to meet demand provides additional insurance against such events.
Reason 5: Colorado Compact Call Insurance
Severe multi-year droughts have occurred several times in the southwest throughout history. Drought on a large, southwestern regional scale occurred most recently in 2002. At that time, the Lower Basin States were intently watching Lake Powell (with 24 million acre-foot capacity) drop to about 7 million acre-feet by 2004. Had its level dropped a mere 3 or 4 million acre-feet more, a “Compact Call”would probably have occurred. That is, all water rights after 1922 would have had to be curtailed. This would have affected PAWSD because only one of the District’s water rights predates 1922. Therefore, had a Compact Call been made, PAWSD could have only diverted the water amount allocated by that one water right. Without significant storage, PAWSD would not have adequate water under Compact Call conditions to meet even the most basic water needs.
An adequately-sized reservoir facility will insure that even if there is a multi-year drought AND a Compact Call is made, the community will still have sufficient water supplies for basic needs.
Reason 4: Indian Nation Priority Water Rights Insurance
When the Colorado River Compact was created and the water divided between the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Indian Nations in the Colorado River Basin were largely ignored. However, there was a clause inserted into the Compact that reads, “Nothing in this compact shall be construed as affecting the obligations of the United States of America to the Indian tribes.”
Water rights are ranked by chronological priority – first in time, first in right. The Navajo Nation reservation, for example, which covers ten percent of the basin area, was established in 1868. Therefore, their water rights priority claim, dated 1868, would take precedence over most of the West’s cities and towns in times of drought and otherwise.
An adequately-sized reservoir facility will insure that regardless of water rights, the demands of Native Americans priorities and the effect of drought, the community will still have sufficient water supplies.
Reason 3: Climate Change Insurance
The impact of climate change on the water supply in southwest Colorado is not known, but at best will probably result in much greater water supply variability - drier droughts and wetter wet years. At worst, possible side effects of warming climate trend could be: higher than average temperatures, less than normal rainfall, higher loss of stored water to evaporation, reduced water yield from established water rights, longer growing seasons resulting in higher agricultural, landscape and commercial water demand, higher risk of large-scale forest fires (could contaminate water supply), and increasing demands under the Colorado River Compact from Lower Basin states. Climate warming effects will likely have cumulative detrimental impacts on the community’s water supply.
Regardless of best or worst warming impacts, an adequately-sized reservoir facility will insure that even if there is a long-term (hundred or more years) climate warming trend, the community will be better prepared to maintain sufficient water supplies.
Reason 2: The Alternative of Doing Nothing
 We could bury our collective head in the sand and believe that we do not need to plan for growth or times of drought. The need for a reservoir is further illustrated by imagining the impacts of doing nothing:
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increased restrictions for current customers,
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no-use or alternate day use periods during drought,
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increased policing of water customers,
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recognition of situation only after situation becomes desperate, when lack of suitable reservoir site will prevent a solution,
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The Price of Waiting: with sky-rocketing building and land costs, the community may not be able to afford a reservoir of the necessary size if acquisition and planning don’t begin now. As an example, the price per acre of land to accommodate the Stevens Reservoir enlargement rose ten times over the last eleven years!
The better alternative is to do what it takes now to be prepared for the future.
Number One Reason Why: Security for the Community
The emblem of the American West is the Ghost Town: mining, lumber, and the railroad all had their hey-day. A community that doesn’t grow, dies. A community that cannot accommodate growth due to lack of adequate clean water supplies cannot grow. Therefore, it is imperative that our community plans for a future safe and reliable water supply that can accommodate the demands of growth, demands of downstream users, possible source water contamination and drought.
Our Water is Our Future
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