From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The meetings both will be on Nov. 18: 1 p.m. at the Gobin Community Building in Rocky Ford; and 6 p.m. at the Lamar Community College Bowman Building. Shareholders on the Bessemer, Catlin, Fort Lyon, High Line, Holbrook, Otero and Oxford canals were sent letters last week with information about two lease agreements that would sell water to Aurora and the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority over the next 40 years…
The Super Ditch board has approved agreements that would allow:
– Leases of up to 8,020 acre-feet per year to the Pikes Peak group in El Paso County for the next 40 years. The amount of water could increase to 20,000-25,000 acre-feet per year over time.
– Leases of up to 10,000 acre-feet per year to Aurora in three years out of 10, subject to restrictions specified under intergovernmental agreements until 2048.
Only the consumptive use of water could be leased and farm ground would have to be dried up during the lease period. Leases would be for $500 per acre-foot and the Super Ditch would be responsible only for moving the water to Lake Pueblo. The rate would escalate according to the Colorado Municipal League Utilities Index, and the leases could be extended by mutual agreement.
More Arkansas Valley Super Ditch Company coverage here and here.
Schweizer said the Super Ditch board has talked about limiting the participation to 30-35 percent of acreage.