PitCo commissioners voice initial approval for another water buy

PitCo commissioners voice initial approval for another water buy reports that Pitkin County commissioners took a preliminary step to purchase additional water rights to increase flows in the often-depleted Roaring Fork River. On Wednesday, commissioners approved on first reading a resolution and ordinance to spend $442,500 to buy 4.68 shares from the Twin Lakes Reservoir & Canal Co., about 3.5 acre-feet of water. The purchase is described as adding to $6.5 million Pitkin County already agreed to earlier this year for roughly 71 acre-feet from Twin Lakes and another ditch company. The water would be taken from the Continental Divide to the Arkansas River basin and could be released via Grizzly Reservoir to Lincoln Creek to support parts of the river through Aspen and upstream areas with low flows in dry years. The article notes the county’s Healthy Rivers board opposed the additional buy, arguing the impact on river health would be small while budget effects could reduce the program’s ability to address other mandates.