From The Norwood Post (Ellen Metrick):
“It isn’t just us,” said Norwood Town Administrator Patti Grafmyer. “The water court is going to be inundated by filings from San Miguel and Montrose counties, too.”
The town and Norwood Water Commission (NWC) are working to plan ahead for the area, and figure they’ll need another 1,056 acre-feet of water by the year 2060 to cover the projected growth. “We have to plan ahead that far, at least,” said NWC president Mark Muniz. Right now, the town and water commission have an agreement with Farmers Ditch Company for 300 acre-feet, and have the option to purchase more, but the ditch company has been waiting to hear back from the Forest Service on a new ditch bill that may change regulations on municipal water being carried through Forest Service property.
The town owns water rights in the San Miguel River, but the problem — and the expense — lie in getting the water up the hill. The proposal that is being worked on is to move the location where Norwood can draw its water from, which is currently near the bridge at the bottom of Norwood Hill. The town has several areas they are looking at, and several possible plans for enlargement of ditches, new ditches, and reservoir sites, though none is yet set in stone. Grafmyer said the filing for the water has to be finalized by this Friday. “It’s still in draft form right now. The engineers and legal firms are still working on the final draft.”