Wednesday, May 09, 2007

The Pueblo Chieftain Gives a Dam…

...a good rep.

It’s good to see the Chieftain giving a dam on the Fountain a good write-up this morning.

Monday’s little New Orleans in Pueblo, vis-a-vis the break in the old levee. Reminded me of the old levee in New Orleans that failed when they had their storm problem.

And we can all be thankful that this problem manifested itself now, while it was relatively small, instead of later, when it could have been so much worse….think 1921.

Global warming is a fact. [Note: Human contribution to it is an issue, to be discussed in a different venue/thread.] The effects of it are up for considerable discussion. But it seems we’re getting a bit more water here, along the Front Range.  And, with all the construction that has gone on in Colorado Springs, we’re getting more flow down the Fountain than we had some 50 years ago.

As a result, we certainly need to pay more attention to the way the Fountain is ‘growing’ and the levees we have in place to manage that growth.

However, the articles and editorials in the Chieftain are highlighting an interesting train of thought on that management. A dam on the Fountain.

I’ve thought this to be a great idea since I mentioned it to the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy meeting a few years back. This, during their public forum period. I think it interesting that one of the impanelled subject matter experts started scribbling notes when I mentioned the idea.

At any rate, a dam on the Fountain, between here and C’Springs would serve a multitude of purposes.

[1] Flood prevention.
[2] A settling pond for effluent form C’Springs.
[3] Back-up water supply.
[4] Reuse of water.
[5] Recreation.

These are obvious. However, less obvious are the additional benefits.

Take, for example, what happens to the water coming out of such a dam.

That water has settled out. It no longer has the silt and filth brought down from C’Springs. Therefore, we’d likely see the following benefits.

[1] The water in the Arkansas, east of the confluence with the Fountain, would be cleaner and bluer than it is today.
[2] Subsequently, the communities downstream from the confluence wouldn’t need to spend millions, if not billions, on a special water-pipe from above Pueblo Reservoir to get clean drinking water.
[3] The water might be so clean that C’Springs might even agree to take their SDS water entitlement from east of the confluence. [Note: As it is right now, they KNOW how filthy that water is and are adamantly opposed to drinking what they put in there.] This too, would likely save money, compared against other proposals that have been floated.
[4] People from C’Springs would likely want to recreate in the resulting reservoir. This would result in those citizens of that fair city to require C’Springs ‘clean up their act’ regarding their effluent.

Personally, I think such a dam is a GREAT idea. And, I would suggest that in order for there to be reasonable control and management of such an activity, the dam should be built in Pueblo County, around mile-marker 211-215, where the Fountain Valley narrow. And that the resulting reservoir should extend well into El Paso County.

This would require both governments to work together for the benefit of BOTH counties.

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