The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Fire district requires county to have water on site for safety reasons
By Mark Reaman
It has not gone unnoticed that the work to get water and sewer utilities from Crested Butte to the county’s Whetstone community housing project two miles south of town has been more than a little messy along Highway 135. It also took out a long-term water gauging station (see October 31 issue of CB News). The wetlands by Brush Creek Road have been particularly hard hit and we wanted to know why — so we asked…
Assistant Gunnison County manager for operations and sustainability John Cattles admitted there have been some hiccups and they are facing more as the Crested Butte Fire Protection District is requiring more water for safety protocols on the construction site. Hiccups are part of any major construction project but what to a layman (me) might seem a relatively simple project, isn’t, according to Cattles. He indicated the current footprint, including the massive one in the wetlands, was unavoidable.
“While it might appear that a simple trench would only be a few feet wide, in reality, utility installations of this kind are far more complex, especially in wetland soils,” Cattles explained in an email. “There are actually two pipes with a minimum separation of 10 feet, and the trench itself is over six feet deep, which means the sides must be sloped back for worker safety and to prevent cave-ins. In firmer soils, this can be managed with trench boxes, but in the soft, muddy conditions near Brush Creek, additional space is needed to stabilize the area.
“Beyond the trench itself, crews must also create an access road alongside the work area to accommodate dump trucks bringing in gravel for bedding and backfill,” Cattles continued. “That road typically adds another 10–12 feet. Excavators and dewatering pumps also need space to operate on the opposite side of the trench. Altogether, the active construction area can easily expand to 40 feet wide. Because the site is muddy, equipment movement can cause temporary widening as well.”
Cattles said there will be no need for further access into the wetlands once this work is complete. Restoration and replanting will take place in the spring, when the ground conditions are suitable. “While we always try our best to avoid disturbing sensitive environments during construction work, this area has been disturbed several times in the past and has recovered; we expect it to recover again this time,” he said. “The disturbed areas are expected to reestablish successfully in a fairly short timeframe.”
As for the length of time the project has taken, especially given relatively good weather both last spring and this fall, Cattles said that is where the hiccups come in. “The off-site utility installation has taken longer than planned due to a combination of equipment challenges, difficult ground conditions and necessary coordination between multiple utilities,” he said. “Of course we are frustrated about these delays, but we have continued working closely with the contractor to move the project forward. The water line installation is nearly complete, and the extended fall construction season has helped progress the work.”
Speaking of water to the site, the county said the CB Fire District has requested assurance that adequate water is available for fire protection while the permanent system is finalized. In response, the County has brought 120,000 gallons of water storage on-site for firefighting purposes. “The team is working quickly to finish and test the new water main so that it can serve fire hydrants,” said Cattles. “The Fire District has allowed until the end of the month for the permanent system to be fully operational.”
When suggested that the county could perhaps do a better job of preparing the public for what to expect, Gunnison County communications director Patty Schmitz said, “As you can imagine, construction zones of this magnitude are very fluid, and we’re working to do our best to keep the community informed as things evolve.”
We reached out to local environmental protection organization High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) to get their take on the construction impacts in the wetlands. HCCA advocacy director Jon Hare said the group is keeping an eye on the situation.
“Some of the construction projects around Crested Butte this year demonstrate that even with all of the necessary permits — ground disturbing work and development near sensitive wetlands and riverbanks will have harmful impacts on water quality and aquatic habitat,” he said. “What we are witnessing, just outside of town, is that there needs to be a high standard for work in these fragile locations such as: analysis for environmental impacts, well designed plans, permitting and oversight, selecting the right contractor and construction techniques, as well as reclamation once the project is complete. With limited real estate remaining in the valley – the community, project leaders and elected officials need to ensure that future development does not undermine the qualities that make this place special like clean air, water and unspoiled public lands.”
The 252-unit development is expected to start leasing in 2027.
