The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Planning for the future
The Mt. Crested Butte Water & Sanitation District has started negotiations to store extra water in Meridian Lake Reservoir, or Long Lake. The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) owns the reservoir’s water rights, but the Mt. Crested Butte District sees potential to shore up future water supplies.
The discussions come as the Mt. Crested Butte District looks ahead to long-term development plans for both Mt. Crested Butte and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Frank Glick, district manager for the Mt. Crested Butte District, says that the board is simply looking to stay ahead of the curve.
“It doesn’t hurt to obtain water now rather than down the road,” Glick said. “There’s the question of global warming, so who knows what could be happening 20 years from now? This is just to look forward rather than some communities like Colorado Springs that wait … and then officials are looked at as being behind the curve.”
Glick sees it as one of several ways that the Mt. Crested Butte District has been mindful of future needs. He cited the expansion of the wastewater plant in the early 2000s as another example.
As for how the deal would work, details are not yet finalized or public. The overarching proposal is to store inflow from Washington Gulch into the Meridian Lake. But according to Glick, most of the discussion has taken place in executive discussion, and details like the quantity of water will be determined during negotiations with the Upper Gunnison District.
Frank Kugel, district manager of the Upper Gunnison District, says that the total amount of water will be in the neighborhood of 500 acre feet. But he sees the potential for a win-win agreement, where both districts could obtain additional water.
“There’s an opportunity for both districts to enhance water storage supplies. At times, there are acute shortages in the upper valley and this would help address that,” Kugel said.
There are, he said, some issues the Upper Gunnison District wants to address. According to Kugel, there have been inflow shortages in recent years, and his district also wants to ensure that any additional water does not affect the performance of the dam.
Kugel expects those issues to be addressed during negotiations. The Mt. Crested Butte District approached the Upper Gunnison District last month, and both boards will reconvene this month to continue discussions.
