(By GENE M. BRADLEY, July 30, 2024)
Over the last few years, several folks in our subdivision have asked me about the history of our water system.
To provide a brief historical record for the benefit of existing and future homeowners, the following
summarizes what I recall about the system. Not all, including dates, may be exactly right but it’s close.
We moved to Durango in 1995 and completed building our house in Shenandoah in October of that year.
About 15 homes had been built in the subdivision at that time. We acquired the lot from Shenandoah Ltd,
(Ltd) owned by E.L. Hutchison . We paid a water tap fee of $3,500 to Ltd which gave us the right to hook up to
the Lake Durango Water Company system (LD). When Ltd started development, the water source was to be a
well located in the subdivision. However, the well only had the capacity to handle around 20 lots, and Ltd
struck an agreement (handshake) with Bob Johnson, the owner of LD, to provide water to the subdivision. The
well was closed down and dormant until a few years ago when the 35-acre track on Shenandoah Circle was
subdivided into 3 lots - the well, located on the northeast side of Shenandoah Circle serves as the water
supply for these lots.
LD provides water to several subdivisions in west and southwestern La Plata County including Rafter J,
Shenandoah and Shenandoah Highlands and Shenandoah Estates, Lake Durango, Trapper’s Crossing, Long
Hollow and Durango West I and II. Durango West I and II are the largest subdivisions and had their own water
systems, including wells, but the wells had become unreliable as to quantity and quality and they contracted
with LD for their water supply. They are considered wholesale customers as they have their own storage and
distribution lines. Lake Durango has about 1,070-acre feet of water storage. Its water source, other than runoff, comes from the La Plata River through the Pine Ridge Ditch. The La Plata River has long been overappropriated. In addition to irrigation use, there is a 1922 compact agreement with New Mexico that requires
a certain amount of water in the river between February and November to be delivered to New Mexico. LD has
relatively low priority water rights, 39th on the list, and can’t take water from the river until early May of each
year -- it can take water earlier if others on the ditch haven’t called for the water.
In 1997-1999, timeframe, our subdivision and Shenandoah Highlands determined there was no written
agreement between Ltd and LD to provide water to our subdivisions. LD had no idea what or how many lots
had tap agreements with Ltd. Over a period of several months, a water tap agreement was drafted and signed
with LD and Ltd that specified the lots that had paid for taps and were entitled to water. About the same time,
the subdivision deeded over to LD title to its pipeline infrastructure in exchange for LD maintaining the pipeline
system.
During 2002-2003, we had a serve drought in southwest Colorado with very low snowpack. LD was within a
whisker of running dry, and LD had to impose very tight water restrictions. A group of retail water users was
formed and worked with LD to develop an emergency substitute water supply plan under recently enacted
Colorado law that enabled LD to convert irrigation water to domestic water. The plan was approved by the
state, and LD was able to get about 90 a/f of water which got us through the drought. But the message was
clear, we were at high risk of not having an adequate supply of water during periods of serve drought. La Plata
County got involved, determined that LD had committed to about 1,400 taps with 1,050 active taps at that
time. The County, which has responsibility for ensuring that new developments have an adequate supply of
drinking water, imposed a moratorium on the activation of additional taps. Durango West I filed a legal action
against LD, and as I recall demanded a new rate study and safe yield analysis (determine how many taps LD
could safely serve during dry periods). The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) also got involved as LD was
determined to be a public utility, and over the next few years it closely supervised all activities and operations
of LD.
The County worked with DWI, DW II and the retail group in trying to find a solution to LD water issues. It paid
for a mediation attorney who arranged a meeting with interested parties, including LD. At the meeting, Bob
Johnson agreed to sell the Lake and water operations for approximately $3.5 million to a new water authority,
Lake Durango Water Authority (LDWA). The purchase was completed in July 2009. The Authority is an
independent political subdivision and has its own governing board consisting of five members. DW1 and DW II
each appoint one member and three are appointed by the County, including two retail customers and one
independent person who is not a customer of the Authority. The retail board members currently are JeƯ
Wagner of our subdivision and Tom Brossia who lives in Shenandoah Highlands. As a governmental entity, the
Authority is required to have open board meetings and comply with various state requirements including
financial reporting, annual audit and operational reporting. Further information on LDWA can be found on its
website at LakeDurango.org.
Fortunately for LD water users, the Animas La Plata Project finally came to fruition after many decades of
discussion and negotiation. In the summer of 2011, the Lake Nighthorse Reservoir completed filling—
approximately 125,000 a/f of water. Before Nighthorse starting filling in early 2010, La Plata West Water
Authority (LWWA) which was formed to develop a domestic water system on the dry side in western La Plata
County completed an intake structure at Nighthorse at a cost of approximately $5.5 million funded primarily
by resource funds provided by the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes. Subsequently, LDWA
partnered with LPWWA and the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes to construct a 4.6-mile
pipeline to deliver water from Lake Nighthorse to Lake Durango. The $3.5 million dollar project was completed
in September 2020. In December 2016, LDWA entered into an agreement to purchase 400 a/f of water supply
(cost – approximately $1,600 per a/f) from Animas La Plata Water Conservancy District, a sponsor of the ALP
Project, over a 4- year period. The final purchase of this water was completed in the spring of 2024. LDWA is
now able to get water from Lake Nighthorse, as necessary, up to 400 a/f. This was the first beneficial use of
water out of Lake Nighthorse.
The primary source of water for Lake Durango remains the La Plata River with supplemental water coming
from Lake Nighthorse, if needed. As a result of the availability of water from Lake Nighthorse, Lake Durango
users have a safe, reliable source of water. According to the LDWA Manager, there are currently 1,441
committed water taps of which 162 are inactive. If the Authority continues to expand operations and sell
more taps, there may be a future need to buy more Lake Nighthorse water.
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Just for information:
1 acre foot of water = approximately 326,000 gallons
Average household in Colorado uses about ½ a/f per year or 163,000 gallons
