Spring precipitation may have put an end to the seven-year drought in El Paso County, but providing a long-term reliable water supply to meet the needs of a growing population remains a major concern for both water providers and consumers.Residents living in the Cimarron Hills and Claremont Ranch subdivisions were forced to face this fact on June 22, when they were ordered to stop all outside watering because Cherokee Metropolitan District water supplies were running dangerously low.The two water sources in the Falcon area are the non-renewable Denver Basin aquifers and the Black Squirrel Creek renewable aquifer.According to a March 2006 report, “Running on Empty? El Paso County Growth and the Denver Basin,” by Jacob Steideman of the University of Colorado, if water demands increase faster than past trends, the Denver Basin water supply could “collapse” as early as 2028. In addition, he said, under “the most optimistic scenario” water districts using renewable supplies will be using all of the available water by 2040.”In the water community, business as usual will take us right off the cliff,” said Gary Barber, El Paso County Water Authority manager and recorder for the Arkansas Basin Roundtable.State officials, water providers and ground water management districts have been searching for a solution to the state’s water crisis. In a June 2005 press release, former Gov. Bill Owens announced the creation of an Interbasin Compact Committee to analyze water management issues. The committee was comprised of nine round tables, one for each river basin in the state and two for the Denver metro area. Experts in environmental, recreational, municipal, industrial and agricultural water matters were appointed to each round table.Out of those meetings it became clear there is a need for more water storage facilities in the state. Last year, Senate Bill 06-193 directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board to conduct a study, which determined that “underground water storage offers many of the benefits provided by surface water reservoirs but does not suffer water losses due to evaporation or involve environmental impacts associated with reservoir construction, and can even offer improvements in water quality.”Ralf Topper, hydrogeologist for the Department of Natural Resources working in conjunction with the CWCB, found that the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin was the most favorable spot in the Arkansas River basin for water storage.This September – Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 – the Arkansas Roundtable and the American Ground Water Trust will sponsor a conference in Colorado Springs to focus on the hydrology, engineering and political work that must be completed before storing water in the Upper Black Squirrel can become a reality. The conference will bring together both regional and national water engineers, geologists, hydrologists, legislators, water district and municipal managers, as well as politicians, water attorneys, concerned citizens and environmentalists.Gov. Bill Ritter has been invited as a special guest to the convention. The keynote speaker, Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs, will describe the history of Colorado’s water supply since 1969 and present an assessment of current water conditions in the state.Speakers from Arizona, California and New Mexico will explain the legal framework and administrative structures that made aquifer storage possible in their states.Panelists will discuss water sources available for storage, examining the environmental impact of using treated wastewater, spring snow-melt, or excess water from oil and gas wells to recharge underground aquifers.Attorneys from around the state plan to address the legal issues involved with storage and distribution of water supplies.State legislators, including Marsha Looper, Gail Schwartz, Buffie McFayden and Amy Stephens, among others, will debate the legislative challenges of recharging a designated basin and how Colorado’s water professionals can assist the Legislature.Betty Konarski, president of the El Paso County Water Authority, and Gary Barber will give the closing remarks for the conference. Barber said, “As pressure on Colorado groundwater supplies increases, we have to examine public policy issues concerning the recharge and storage of groundwater.”Work to recharge the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin will not end with the conference. Topper expects his study of the UBS aquifer to continue until June 2008. He is evaluating the hydrological characteristics of the aquifer to determine the best locations within the aquifer for recharge.Rep. Marsha Looper also said she will work closely with the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Ground Water Management District to obtain state funds to build the infrastructure necessary to recharge the basin.
