A warm winter and historically low snowpack in western Colorado has left the West Divide Water Conservation District (WDWCD) and the Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD) thirsty. District representatives on Monday asked the Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for help since the county owns rights to 400 acre-feet of water in Ruedi Reservoir.

Back in 2013, the county purchased those rights via a perpetual contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Since 2021, 350 acre-feet have gone to the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in late summer or early fall to support endangered fish in the Colorado River’s 15-Mile Reach east of Grand Junction. 

This year, however, the water will go to the WDWCD and the SWCD.

“The way the contract is written, the board, at your sole discretion every year, can distribute [the water] how you would like to,” explained County Manager Fred Jarman on Monday. 

Letters submitted to the BOCC from both districts were almost exactly the same, citing drought, made worse by the unprecedented low snowpack this past winter. It’s sort of a domino effect. The 66,000 acre-feet Historic Users Pool in Green Mountain Reservoir, where the districts get water in the summer, did not fill this year, so the districts won’t have enough water to augment supplies for agriculture and irrigation in the western part of Garfield County as the summer wears on. 

In fact, they said they don’t have enough water now. 

“2026 hydrology is resulting in reduced water supplies and extended administrative call duration like we have never seen before,” WDWCD states in its letter. The district’s regular 200 acre-feet from Green Mountain Reservoir is not available this year. “We have had to schedule replacement supplies for May and June, which are typically free river conditions.” In other words, to avoid a downstream call on the water, which could put junior water rights at risk, the district needs more water.

Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky recused himself from the discussion and vote, stating that he is on the WDWCD Board. 

“I believe this is the first year in the history of our users that this has happened,” SWCD states in its letter. “We are scrambling to try and secure some water to pump to our users for [agriculture] and irrigation use.” 

Sam Potter, president of the WDWCD, said that the district has about 500 contracts for water augmentation. “Some of those represent multiple households or users,” he explained. “So there’s a lot of people out there that are affected and have legal water supplies only due to the augmentation plans that we operate.” 

Potter added that the district needs 100 acre-feet to cover the augmentation plans. “In addition to that, every year we have new contractees come in, and we would like to have a buffer.” The WDWCD is also willing to work with the CWCB to send water to the endangered fish. 

Colorado River Engineering’s Michael Erion explained that the SWCD came online in 1966. At that time, the first 52,000 acre-feet in Green Mountain Reservoir went to the Colorado Big Thompson Project. The next 5,000 acre-feet went to the SWCD. Erion said that about three weeks ago, the federal government cut the 5,000 acre-feet from the SWCD. He added that after some discussion, the feds returned 300 acre-feet. The SWCD will also get some water from evaporation from the Colorado Big Thompson Project. “So the Silt project will get about 900 acre-feet,” he said. 

The BOCC, sans Jankovsky, agreed to lease 200 acre-feet to the WDWCD and 185 to the SWCD, setting aside 15 acre-feet for county use. They will decide on the price per acre-foot at a later date. 

In other news … 

The Carbondale Wild West Rodeo is set for its 21st season. Commissioners approved a permit from June 4 through Aug. 20 at the Gus Darien Arena. 

The BOCC opened a previously frozen Garfield County Sheriff Patrol Deputy II position at $76,015 for the rest of the year. They approved a letter of support for funding for a Western Slope Veterans Coalition housing project, and a grant for county jail inmate behavioral services. Ten nonprofits requested funding. Kirby Wynn, county oil and gas liaison, ended the meeting with an update about the recent, county-hosted energy symposium and state rulemakings.

Last week, the BOCC approved a letter to the state senate opposing the confirmation of two Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission appointees, and stated that they would ratify the letter at this week’s meeting. County Attorney Heather Beattie, who was absent from Monday’s meeting, told The Sopris Sun last week in an email that the letter could be sent before ratification under certain circumstances. 

“Generally, these are for letters of support or disapproval for various projects or positions,” she wrote. “Then, of course, it must be put on the agenda at the next regular meeting for ratification. The ratification is the legal mechanism that gives the previously signed letter its authority.” 

Letter ratification was not on Mondays’ agenda and it was not mentioned during the assistant county attorney’s update. The county has not responded to a recent request for comment from The Sopris Sun.