Click the link to read the article on The Rio Blanco Herald-Times website. Here’s an excerpt:

August 6, 2025

The main topic of the most recent Rio Blanco Water Conservancy meeting was news that despite the recent $2.5 Million repair,  the Hydro power unit is not in operation yet. Originally, the hydraulics seized due to solids in the oil, all the oil has been flushed and replaced and the hydraulics are in working order. Currently they are working on the part known as the face seal.  It is being refurbished in California and will be delivered and installed asap.  Once the face seal is installed then RBWCD will finalize wet testing to verify that it is properly functioning before going fully online with it. 

The issue was discovered while the hydro power unit was running during the initial wet testing. They ran the hydro for approximately 12 hours over a couple of days.  At this time is when the stuck face seal was discovered.  It appears that this part may have been faulty for several years and it is the belief of the contractor, engineer and RBWCD Staff that this fix will help remedy these persistent issues the hydro has been having. 

CPW and RBWCD is working on education and prevention for the zebra mussels at Kenney Reservoir. The lake has seen an increase of use due to closures of other lakes in the area due to mussels, capacity restrictions and construction. 

The District continues to solicit responses to their Irrigation Study and Recreation Study and intend on using the results to support in NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) for the Wolf Creek mega reservoir project. According to Executive Director Alden Vanden Brink, they are having better than expected participation. The next survey will be a Rangely Water Needs assessment.