FORT COLLINS, Colo.—City officials say they are concerned about an error that led to the Poudre River being almost dry as it passes through historic Old Town.
“The drop in flows this week and at other times worries and concerns me. The river is very important to the city of Fort Collins and is critical to our well-being from both an economic and environmental standpoint. We will do everything we can as a city to keep an appropriate stream flow through town,” said City Manager Darin Atteberry.
River Commissioner George Varra said he had miscalculated and released too much water from a diversion to an irrigation company.
“It’s rare that the river will be dry in June, but it’s possible,” Varra said. “The exchange this week was perfectly legal; I just allowed a little more (water to be pulled) than I should have.” the Poudre for an irrigation company but added that a dry river isn’t unheard of this time of year.
Witnesses told the Fort Collins Coloradoan that the drawdown killed fish.
Agricultural interests have senior water rights and at best only 25 percent of the water leaving Poudre Canyon ever makes its way into town, said Dennis Bode, the city’s water resources manager. He said although the city wants to use the river as a tourist attraction it cannot afford to buy more water rights.
“There are times when many senior users on the river are pulling their water, and when enough of those users are upstream of College Avenue, then it can result in low flows or no flows at all in parts of the river,” Bode said.
The city is building a whitewater park is in the works on the Poudre just east of North College, one of several redevelopment projects. River flow is imperative to all of those projects, said Mayor Doug Hutchinson.
Resident Gary Wockner, a vocal river advocate who bikes on the Poudre trail weekly, said letting the river dry out should be an environmental crime.
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Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan,
