On May 18, local water experts representing Jefferson County, Colorado Division of Water Resources, Bear Creek Watershed Association, and Conifer Area Council provided information ranging from the characteristics and status of our watershed and to water rights and how Jeffco considers water supply when making land-use decisions. These geologists, hydrologists, watershed experts, county and state water managers, and planners provided briefings to improve resident’s knowledge, useful to managing their water systems plus how to interact with developers, regulators, and elected officials to best develop and conserve our essential resource. This is the second presentation to the community; we held the first seminar in 2018.
We are providing links to the presentations plus a video of the morning’s briefings. Topics and a synopsis of each presentation are summarized below.
Introduction and General Information. Peter Barkmann, Conifer Area Council Water and Trails Team Lead. Perspective and background for the seminar and a description of the Conifer-285 Corridor setting.
Our Essential Water Resource: Groundwater in a Fractured-Crystalline Bedrock Watershed. Peter Barkmann, Colorado Geological Survey. Characteristics of groundwater in fractured aquifer and the concept of a water balance in a mountain watershed.
Mountain Water Use, Recharge and Quality. John Wallack, Conifer Area Council Trails Team. Current area water consumption by type and location.
Drinking Water from Private Wells and Wastewater Treatment Systems. Roy Laws, Jefferson County Department of Public Health. Overview of background water conditions, contaminant sources, treatment requirements and options, and wastewater treatment systems.
Bear Creek Watershed Association. Russell Clayshulte, Bear Creek Watershed Association. BCWA is the local water quality agency responsible for implementation of monitoring and tracking water quality in the Bear Creek Watershed. The watershed extends from the Mount Evans Wilderness on the western end to the Town of Morrison on the eastern end and from South Turkey Creek to Evergreen.
Water Rights and Water Resources Administration. Aliyah Santistevan, Colorado Division of Water Resources. An overview of water rights, well permits, augmentation plans, and filing requirements with the State Engineers Office
Jefferson County Land Use Policies. Heather Gutherless, Jefferson County Planning and Zoning. An overview of Jefferson County land use decision process with respect to water supply