| 6/25/2009 9:11:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District celebrates 30 years
Inspired by George Everett, Jr., Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District was founded in June 1979, by irrigators, businessmen, politicians, a creative journalist and ordinary citizens of Chaffee and Fremont counties.
They all were energized by events of l977 and 1978.
In September 1977 a group of citizens died en route to southwestern Colorado to join others in a political battle against a state agency attempting to create minimum stream flows on natural streams of Colorado.
The loss of friends, companions and family inspired a few courageous irrigators to defy water regulators of the state who demanded senior ditch water appropriators curtail irrigation while junior well water appropriators were allowed to pump in the lower valley.
Defiance of ditch owners was a lost cause - at least for that moment.
From those setbacks a spirit arose among residents of the Upper Arkansas River Valley - the inspiration of rancher Everett assumed a life of its own.
Without recorded opposition, a small band of neighbors and friends petitioned the 11th Judicial District Court in Fremont County with signatures from throughout the valley requesting a decree creating Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District.
April 27, 1979, judge Max Wilson signed the decree creating the new district. The court appointed seven directors all of whom were active participants in promotion and organization of the district.
The first meeting of the new board was June 7, 1979 - 30 years ago. Director representation areas were contiguous with school district boundaries.
First directors were Denzel Goodwin, Fremont County RE-3; Thomas Young, RE-3; Glenn Everett, Chaffee County R-32-J; Wendell Hutchinson, R-32-J; Roy Bowen, Chaffee County R-31; Franklin Springer, R-31 and Verl Freek, at large director.
Directors appointed Ken Baker, an original organizer, as general manager and attorney. Jimmy McCormick, one of the most active petitioners, was selected as honorary treasurer and continues in that role.
Dick Dixon, a journalist, was secretary of the Upper Arkansas Water Association, the first political entity sponsoring the new water conservancy district.
For professional reasons he chose not to become an official member of the new district, but continued as an ally. He is the husband of Terry Dixon, who has been a staff member of the original water association and the district since 1978.
Creation of the Water Activity Enterprise to manage the augmentation plan in 1994 introduced to the district and to the local water community Linda Foster who manages the augmentation program.
The original office was at 122 W. Second St., Salida, the law office of Baker. In 1991 John Peeples and Baker sold the building to the district which assumed part of the building as headquarters.
August 14, 2001, the district sold the original office building and acquired the office complex at 339 E. U.S. 50. From early day meetings in the Chaffee County Court House and Chaffee County Bank, the district board members graduated to the modern board room in the Enterprise Building.
The "Little Engine That Could" outgrew Baker's briefcase and the directorship of seven men in boots and blue jeans became a technologically state-of-the-art organization under the leadership of Terry Scanga.
Today the district includes all of Fremont County, Custer County, Chaffee County, the southern edge of El Paso County, and the Silver Creek area of Saguache County.
Its original boundary encompassed approximately 1,500 square miles and has grown to include more than 3,300 square miles.
The district owns and manages the Water Activity Enterprise operating the largest water augmentation plan in Colorado. It continues to expand and serve residents within its boundaries. Directors now number 13.
They are Glenn Everett, R-32-J Chaffee County; Greg Felt, R-32-J; Frank McMurry, R-31 Chaffee County; Jeff Ollinger, R-31; Bob Senderhauf, Custer County; Bill Donley, Custer County; Tom French, RE-3 Fremont County; Tim Canterbury, RE-3; Bill McGuire, RE-2, Fremont County, John Sandefur, RE-2; Bill Jackson, RE-1 Fremont County; Mannie Colon, RE-1 and Thomas Goodwin, at large director.
Within three decades since birth, district personnel have fought two major battles.
(1) A battle with pumpers in the lower valley settled by a Special Master who declared well users were pumping out of priority and violated the Arkansas River Compact;
And (2) a political confrontation testing the right to annex territory to the district. That battle was settled by the Colorado Supreme Court which reasoned the district needed to get on with business and dismissed opposition.
The district is a major player in water litigation filed in the Arkansas River Basin. One major goal is preservation of traditional irrigation practices by keeping water on the land.
Three mountain reservoirs in Chaffee County are managed by the district. It has water storage rights in Pueblo Reservoir, Twin Lakes and Turquoise Reservoir. Most UAWCD water rights are transmountain diversions originating in the Colorado River basin.
For years the district has cooperated with municipalities of Salida, Poncha Springs and Buena Vista to share water storage space in its reservoirs and create joint water management agreements.
Regular district meetings of Water Activity Enterprise and district directors are held monthly on the second Thursday afternoon at 339 E. U.S. 50, Salida.
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