From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
A plan by a private water developer to build a reservoir east of Pueblo has been put on hold.
“We’re not building a reservoir at this time,” said John McKowen, CEO of the Two Rivers Water & Farming Co. “Our immediate need right now is augmentation water. It’s primary to the support of our farms.”
Two Rivers has a lease for water from the Pueblo Board of Water Works. McKowen did not specify which other sources of water he would pursue.
“We plan to work with all of the partners we can,” he said.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board this week deauthorized a $10 million loan it granted to Two Rivers on May 14. Two Rivers requested the action Oct. 2.
“We are writing to inform you that due to timing issues outside of our control, it is in Two Rivers’ best interest to deauthorize this loan,” Two Rivers CFO Wayne Harding wrote in a letter to the CWCB.
Two Rivers has not completely given up on a plan to build the reservoir on Southwest Farms property, but will put off the plan for several years. The reservoir site is on the Excelsior Ditch. In August, Two Rivers broke off negotiations with the Arkansas Groundwater Users Association to purchase its majority interest in the ditch. Earlier this year, Two Rivers partnered with AGUA by making some of its leased water available for well augmentation plans.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pursuing plans to develop a reservoir on a site just east of Southwest Farms, also on the Excelsior Ditch.
Stonewall Springs LLC owns the other reservoir site, and is the only other shareholder on the Excelsior Ditch. Reservoirs on the Excelsior Ditch would be useful to Colorado Springs, Aurora and Pueblo to recapture water bypassed to support the Pueblo flow program. The location is ideal because there are existing headgates and a system could be operated with gravity flow.