From The Pueblo Chieftain:
The Colorado Water Conservation Board Thursday, meeting at Edwards, approved seven grants requested by the Arkansas Basin Roundtable.
Among them were funding to improve water supply to the Zinno Subdivision and more Fountain Creek flood control studies.
The St. Charles Mesa Water District received $75,000 from the CWCB toward a $1 million project to connect the Zinno Subdivision to the district.
The subdivision has experienced water outages several times in the past seven years and residents are unhappy about increasing water rates to maintain the system.
The current water provider, Joseph Water, claims the system is safe and reliable. The project is contingent on a district court case.
The state board also approved $93,000 toward a $133,300 study of flood control alternatives on Fountain Creek by the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District.
The district already has completed a U.S. Geological Survey study of the effectiveness of flood control measures, and opted to look at either a dam or series of detention ponds between Colorado Springs and Pueblo. It also determined any impact to water rights could be mitigated.
Other grants included:
$60,800 for the Arkansas Basin Roundtable coordinator, a position now filled by Gary Barber. $50,000 toward a $60,000 project by the Fort Lyon Canal to evaluate seepage of the Adobe Creek Dam. $175,000 to the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District toward a $250,000 study of agricultural tailwater return flows. $306,600 to the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District toward a $642,000 project to evaluate the potential for underground water storage in Fremont, Chafee and Custer counties. $30,000 to the Holbrook Mutual Irrigation Co. for a flow measurement upgrade at its reservoir in Otero County. All of the grants were approved by the Arkansas Basin Roundtable at its August meeting.