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Dryside poised to get water

Authority begins design stage, seeks more customers
Water from Lake Nighthorse could be flowing into Dryside homes by the end of 2016 if all goes well with the La Plata West Water Authority plans for construction.

Treated water could be flowing from Lake Nighthorse into Dryside homes in late 2016 now that the design stage of the La Plata West Water Authority project has started.

The authority hopes to start construction on a water storage tank on Blue Hill and the necessary pipelines in the summer of 2016, said Mardi Gebhardt, treasurer of the authority’s board.

“It’s a huge deal for people who put their faith into this project and their money,” she said.

The effort to build the infrastructure from Lake Nighthorse to western La Plata County started in 2010 after the intake structure on Lake Nighthorse was finished. Many homeowners on the Dryside have been hauling water for years and are looking forward to the service, she said.

Another key aspect of the project is the construction of the raw-water pipeline from Lake Nighthorse to Lake Durango that is scheduled to start this fall.

The Lake Durango Water Authority, La Plata West Water Authority, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe are working together on a raw-water pipeline project.

Once the water reaches Lake Durango, it can be treated for use by those on the Dryside and those within the Lake Durango Water Authority service area.

About 130 households have signed up to receive water taps in Phase 1 of the project, and the authority is still signing up customers who would receive water in the first stage of construction, Gebhardt said.

One of those who signed up was Mae Morely, who lives near Breen. Her well is not dry, but she has problems with it. Almost all of her neighbors on her road haul their water.

“For us, it’s something we really need,” she said.

She hopes it will improve her lifestyle and the lifestyles of her many family members who live in the area. All of her adult children who live in the area have signed up for water service despite the high cost.

Homeowners who signed up by June 30 have pledged to pay a total of $9,250 by the end of the year for water, Gebhardt said. The first half of this payment was due by June 30. People who missed the deadline will have to pay $10,000 to help pay for the $3.56 million project.

Residents are responsible for paying for half of the project up front with their tap fees. All of the money from tap fees must be in the bank before the authority can receive a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program for the other half of the project.

These fees have been tough financially for some.

“We know it’s so hard for people to come up with the money,” Gebhardt said.

The project has been scaled back somewhat because the authority did not reach its original goal of 200 households.

But the authority is looking to sign up more customers in a few new areas. If customers are interested in paying for it, service could be expanded into the areas south and west of Kline only along County Road 119 and County Road 101. It could also be extended along County Road 134, south of Colorado Highway 140 to those who live in Marvel. Service will also be offered to the area west on County Road 100 to the Church Hollow area.

Phase 1 will be built on the east side of the La Plata River because river crossings are expensive. But the water pipes will eventually cross the river in future phases, Gebhardt said.

Those who have the new opportunity to sign up for Phase 1 can attend one of two meetings at the Marvel Grange Hall. The first meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and the second from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 1.

mshinn@durangoherald.com



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