From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Another reservoir plan for the Excelsior Ditch east of Pueblo surfaced Wednesday. Colorado Parks and Wildlife wants to build a small reservoir and wetlands area on the Stonewall Springs site, located south of U.S. 50 near the Pueblo Chemical Depot. “The project would provide 1,800 acres open to public access, either as a park or a wildlife area,” Dan Prenzlow, CPW regional manager, told the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Wednesday.
The state initially would develop a 3,000 acre-foot reservoir on property it is trying to acquire from Stonewall Springs LLC, an El Paso County development group represented by Mark Morley. Because the state is in negotiations with Stonewall, no cost for the project was given.
The first reservoir is one of five that potentially could be developed on the Stonewall Springs property. Two other reservoir sites on the Southwest Farms property along the Excelsior Ditch are slated for development by Two Rivers Water & Farming Co., controlled by John McKowen, a Denver entrepreneur. The purpose of both projects would be essentially the same. They are trying to attract other municipal or agricultural water users who need storage in exchange for water. Two Rivers wants to charge a fee in water for storage and use it to augment irrigation wells.
Prenzlow said other state agencies such as the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Great Outdoors Colorado could be partners, as well as the recovery of yield municipal group and well augmentation groups.
Two Rivers has made an offer of $3.5 million to the Arkansas Groundwater Users Association to buy its 53 percent share of the Excelsior Ditch. Stonewall Springs owns the other 47 percent of the ditch.