From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
A project to upgrade the outlet flow measurement at Holbrook Reservoir near La Junta was approved by the Arkansas Basin Roundtable Wednesday.
“We’ll be better able to use the storage there,” said Nick Koch, a roundtable member from Cheraw.
The work would construct a new concrete weir at the outlet and armor the channel immediately downstream to reduce erosion. The project will allow flows to be measured in the 1-14 cubic feet per second range, a requirement by the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
It also will lower the outlet by 1 foot to allow better access to water in the reservoir, Koch said.
The reservoir holds about 6,250 acre-feet of water, which benefits farmers on the Holbrook Canal. The canal also leases space to the Recovery of Yield group (Colorado Springs, Aurora and Pueblo), as part of the program that maintains Arkansas River flows through Pueblo. Space is leased in the reservoir by the cities, so water can be exchanged or leased later.
It also provides fishing and boating opportunities, Koch said.
The project would cost $40,150 and would be completed during the Oct. 1-Dec. 15 time frame.
The Holbrook Canal is seeking a $30,000 grant from the Water Supply Reserve Account, which is funded by mineral severance taxes. The grant still must be approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board, but the roundtable’s blessing is a crucial first step.
The Recovery of Yield Group would supply $8,150, and Holbrook would contribute $2,000.
