Water supply back in the black

For the first time since a drought began in 2002, Colorado Springs Utilities is selling water it can’t store in full reservoirs.

“It hasn’t happened since 2001,” said Springs Utilities water supply manager Wayne Vanderschuere. “We suspended sales during the drought completely. This is a return to more normal operations.”

He said this year’s snowpack and cool, wet spring have resulted in the city’s reservoirs being full, including Lakes Meredith and Henry east of Pueblo, the source of water sold to two canal companies and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

“Of course they’re excited to get it,” Vanderschuere said of the irrigation companies. “This is a very unique circumstance. It comes in quick blocks, and you have to be able to move.”

The city-owned utility sold 2,400 acre feet, or about 780 million gallons, to Colorado Canal farmers, who get preference under long-standing agreements. Fort Lyon Canal sought water about the same time and bought 3,781 acre feet, or 1.2 billion gallons. Both Arkansas Valley irrigation groups paid $11 per acre foot for the water, delivered in the last two weeks.

In contrast, Springs Utilities customers use about 80,000 acre feet a year, or about 26 billion gallons.

The water sales represent about 10 percent of the Springs usage.

This week, the city delivered 2,000 acre feet, or about 650 million gallons, to the Colorado Division of Wildlife at the negotiated price of $15 per acre foot.

The water will be added to the permanent water storage pool at John Martin Reservoir west of Lamar, according to a press release. The Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation helped with the purchase.

“This is a great purchase to ensure the long-term storage needs for fishing and recreation at John Martin,” Dan Prenzlow, DOW southeast regional manager, said in a statement. “Adding capacity to the permanent storage pool bodes well for the health of the fishery.”

The state added water to John Martin earlier this year with an acquisition from Pueblo.

John Martin Reservoir is a camping, boating, fishing and bird-watching spot bordered on the east and north by a state park and on the west and south by a state wildlife area.

John Martin’s capacity is 618,000 acre feet; this year it holds about 73,000 acre feet,

an improvement over drought years when it was nearly empty.

Two other water sales are pending, Vanderschuere said, but would not disclose details.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com