Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Board - Minutes - 09/23/1999The regular meeting of the Fort Collins Water Board was held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 23, 1999, in the Utilities Training Room at 700 Wood Street, Fort Collins, Colorado. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Clopper, Chair, Tom Sanders; Vice Chair, David Lauer, Dave Rau, John Morris, George Reed, Tom Brown, Bill Fischer BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Joe Bergquist, Robert Ward, Dave Frick STAFF PRESENT: Mike Smith, Wendy Williams, Dennis Bode, Dennis Sumner, Bob Smith, Gale McGaha Miller, Jim Hibbard, Heather Hoxeng APPROVAL OF MINUTES John Morris moved that the minutes of August 26, 1999 be approved as distributed. Bill Fischer seconded the motion. Paul Clopper asked that the wording be changed on p. 1 under Poudre River Floodplain Regulations Recommendation, paragraph 1, beginning with line two. It should read: "He then gave a short history on the Floodplain Regulations Task Force, which began in July of 1998 when the Water Board recommended a policy review for designated floodplains. They recommended Council review and possibly revise existing policies regarding development in the floodplain." On page 10 under Action: Third motion and vote, Dave Rau should be changed to David Lauer. The motion to approve the minutes with corrections, was approved unanimously. UPDATE: NORTHERN COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT: Gene Schleiger, a representative from the District was unable to attend the meeting. Mike Smith noted that at Platte River's Board meeting the NCWCD representative said they are expecting a spill next year. Dennis Bode added that they might have a preemptive spill to lower Granby in preparation for next year's peak. Water Board Minutes September 23, 1999 Page 2 POUDRE RIVER FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS RECOMMENDATION: Bob Smith presented to the Board a revision of the language concerning new development under Poudre River Flood Plain Regulations, which the Board had requested at last month's meeting. Dave Rau suggested removing the clause "in any circumstances" and a few grammatical changes, making the revised language read as follows: Option C — New Development Not allowed in the floodway or the floodplain, except public infrastructure, recreation and natural resources facilities. Walled and roofed structures are not allowed unless such structures are an accessory structure associated with infrastructure, recreation and natural resources facilities, and are not designed for human habitation and associated with high damage potential. For example, such permitted structures include restrooms, pump houses, gaging and sampling stations, and roofed interpretive signs. ACTION: Approval The Board approved Staff recommendation of the Poudre River Floodplain Regulations with the suggested changes during this meeting and last month's. ADJUSTMENT OF RAW WATER REOUIREMENTCONVERSION FACTORS: Bill Fischer gave a brief review of his request to table this topic during last month's meeting for Paul Clopper, who was absent. Mr. Fischer subsequently decided that it is a fair and reasonable approach to the issue and now endorses it. ACTION: Motion and Vote Bill Fischer moved to accept the adjustment of the raw water requirement conversion factor for North Poudre Irrigation Company Shares from 5.57 to 5.0 acre feet per share as presented by Dennis Bode at last month's Board meeting. It is to be effective on January 1, 2000. John Morris seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. STAFF REPORTS: Treated Water Production Summary Dennis Bode gave a synopsis of the treated water summary table handed out to Board Members. He reported that during the month of August the City had used 2,476-acre feet and in September we are at about eighty-three percent for the month. This figure is low due to rains at the end of August and beginning of September. Mr. Bode noted that we might end the year close to ninety percent of what was originally projected for the year due to the above average precipitation (16.84 inches so far). Paul Clopper asked how the above average precipitation has affected revenue. Mike Smith explained that we are a little behind. We are only two percent above last year and we should be closer to five or six percent higher. Water Board Minutes September 23, 1999 Page 3 Questions and Comments — Water Quality Policy Annual Report and Other Water Quality Items City of Greeley's Giardia Problem Gale McGaha Miller reported on the highly publicized Greeley Giardia problem. She informed the Board that she has not had a chance to debrief with the Greeley Water Quality team concerning their treatment process. Her understanding was that the filter did not seat correctly after backwashing. At the time that one Giardia cyst/1001, was detected in the finished water, there were fairly high levels of the organism in the untreated water source. Tom Sanders asked how boil water mandates are put into effect. Ms. McGaha Miller explained that it is a judgement call by the State on whether to calla boil order. The judgement call usually has to do with looking at both the lab results and other performance indicators of the plant in question. Mr. Clopper noted that staff spent numerous hours helping the Greeley Water Quality team during the Giardia crisis. Mr. Fischer also commended Staff for their efforts in helping Greeley. Water Quality Report George Reed said that he was surprised to see no listing of unnatural types of contaminates in the report that went out to the public. Ms. McGaha Miller explained that the report was not showing human impact "for the most part." MTBE and other petroleum compounds were not reported because they were not detected in our water supply. Mr. Reed asked if Ms. McGaha Miller had seen typical sources of contaminants in our water shed that would cause results different from the ones reported today. Ms. McGaha Miller explained that she sees the increased development of human activity creating high levels of contaminants we already see. She thinks the Poudre River, as compared to Horsetooth Reservoir, is more vulnerable to immediate contamination because of possible car and truck accidents spilling chemicals into the River. "Because so much of that upper stretch is Federal and State lands, we've got a good opportunity to continue to protect that watershed. We're working hard on that now." Tom Sanders raised a question on whether the only major source of contamination to the watershed was Estes Park. Ms. McGaha Miller believes there is a cumulative effect of things happening in the Big Thompson watershed with the end result being hints of eutrofication in Horsetooth Reservoir. It is not from one source but a variety of smaller ones that add up. From the mouth of the Poudre Canyon down, the character of the river changes and needs to be looked at as almost a different river. It is no longer a high mountain, cold water river. It becomes an urbanized river with many inputs, diversions, agriculture and urban impacts that change things drastically. Water Board Minutes September 23, 1999 Page 5 can taint the data because the whole of the river is small in comparison, which is what happened. The information did not discriminate between any one section of the river. Ms. McGaha Miller pointed out to the Board another report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stating on a scale of one to four, with four being the best, the Poudre River had a four for high quality. Water Quality Standards assigned to the Poudre River are all being met. Bill Fischer commented on a public release concerning Meadow Springs Ranch. He informed the Board of his representation on the Northern Water Quality Association (NWQA) and of the wells they own in the Meadow Springs Ranch area. In the past, the association has been concerned about the water quality of their wells due to Fort Collins' application of products on the land. Ms. McGaha Miller explained that the wells are a long distance from where the application of sludge occurs. She assured the Board a considerable amount of work has been done with NWQA to ensure sludge does not contaminate the wells. ADJOURNMENT: A motion to adjourn was made by David Lauer. Tom Sanders seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m. Water Board Secretary WaterBoard etary Water Board Minutes September 23, 1999 Page 4 Water Quality Policy Annual Report To sum up the goals and objectives of the water quality report, Paul Clopper, stated that the City is meeting every one of our goals for water quality. Every year we have an update and we are not falling short on anything. Ms. McGaha Miller stated that the point of the report was to make sure we are keeping up with our goals, and we are. She said the challenge will be when we are fifty years down the road and someone else will be "carrying that torch." COMMITTEE REPORTS: Legislative and Finance Committee Dennis Sumner presented the Water Board with the 2000 Legislative Agenda, which gives direction to Staff and the Legislative Review Committee in terms of actions or non -actions they should take. The agenda is primarily connected with the State Legislature where matters are decided upon rapidly and the advance interests of the City need to be preplanned. It was noted that the water portion of the agenda had been reviewed with, and approved by the Legislative and Finance Committee. Mr. Sumner informed the Board that State Primacy, within the Legislative Agenda, has already been brought up for discussion. The request was that the language be made easier to follow by the reader. The revised reading would not change the content, just a change in readability. ACTION: Endorsement The Board endorsed the 2000 Legislative Agenda with the clarified wording concerning primacy. Dr. Sanders asked the Board if another member should be added to the Legislative and Finance Committee since there were only two current members. It was agreed that a third should be added. Bill Fischer volunteered to be appointed as a member of the Legislative Finance Committee and was duly appointed. Liaison Issues Committee Mr. Clopper pointed out the need for a chairperson for the Liaison Issues Committee in former Board Member Alison Adams' place. David Lauer nominated George Reed to be the chairperson of the Committee. Tom Sanders seconded the motion and George Reed accepted the nomination. OTHER BUSINESS: Dr. Sanders referred to an article written in the Coloradoan that spoke of contamination in the Poudre River. His concern was the article listed the Poudre River as 26"i in the country for high contamination. Ms. McGaha Miller explained that the information came as part of the Clean 'Water Action Plan, which looked at river stretches in their entirety. Almost all the information from that report came from toxic release inventories. One large industrial user (such as Kodak)