All water in the Falcon area comes from wells drilled into Denver Basin aquifers or the Upper Black Squirrel alluvial aquifer.The Denver Basin contains four aquifers, beginning closest to the surface and working down they are named the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie Fox-Hills.Most homeowners with lots larger than five acres living in the Black Forest have wells drilled into the Dawson or Denver aquifers. Homeowners living in Falcon, Peyton, or Ellicott can have a well in one of the Denver Basin aquifers or the Upper Black Squirrel alluvial aquifer. Homeowners can tell what aquifer their well is in by reading their well permit.As for large subdivisions in the Falcon area, their water supply comes from both Denver Basin aquifers and from the Upper Black Squirrel alluvial. Most Woodmen Hills water comes from Arapahoe and Laramie Fox-Hills wells. But records also indicate Woodmen Hills receives 350 ac. ft. of water a year from the Upper Black Squirrel alluvial. Plus, Meridian Ranch and Woodmen Hills recently ran a pipeline from the Guthrie Ranch near Calhan, (maybe some of you saw the pipeline coming down Judge Orr Road) that will bring additional Upper Black Squirrel alluvial water into the area for a number of Falcon subdivisions.Why should homeowners care about the source of their water? Because the Denver Basin water supply is non-renewable; once it is gone – it’s gone!The Upper Black Squirrel aquifer is renewable; unfortunately, it has been mined by irrigators and municipal users for the last 40 years. Water levels are dropping and two court battles are currently under way to determine who has the right to use this water. According to a 1999 study by Leaf Engineering, if pumping in the alluvial aquifer doesn’t decrease, the aquifer will be gone within the next 30 years. (Leaf Engineering, 1999)Kathy Hare is the president of the Upper Black Squirrel Groundwater Management District.
