As they gaze at the receding level of the town’s namesake body of water, residents of Palmer Lake probably wish their dilemma was of the half-full or half-empty variety.
Instead, people in this town of 1,776 north of Colorado Springs are grappling with a nearly empty lake following years of drought.
“We’re losing an inch a week,” said Jeff Hulsmann. “… If we don’t get more precipitation, we’ll see ground by the end of the month.”
During previous dry spells, the lake, fed by runoff and natural springs, was filled with water from a pipeline that connects to a reservoir the town partially owns.
But that backup plan stopped four years ago when Palmer Lake officials realized it was illegal.
Hulsmann is chairman of a group dubbed Awake the Lake, which formed in 2004 to address the problem.
Without the lake, he said, “We’d be just Palmer.”
Last year, the group spent $15,000 to pump well water into the lake. El Paso County donated $14,000. More than 500 locals brought cups, buckets and even a bathtub of water to the event to show their support.
But the water woes returned this spring, as a dry winter left little in the way of runoff.
The town’s annual kids’ fishing derby has been postponed from early June until Aug. 12, said derby chairman Greg Cook. If there is no progress in the next few weeks, the derby will be moved to Monument Lake.
The Town Council will address this particular recession Thursday.
Options being considered to address the problem range from buying water rights to drilling a well nearby.
Awake the Lake has pledged $16,000 for the effort.
The town depends on its lake for scenic beauty and tourism, Mayor Max Parker said.
And, Cook said, “It’s far less expensive to fill the lake than change all the stationery.”
Staff writer Julianne Bentley can be reached at jbentley@denverpost.com.
