Mary Gauthiere/Greeley Tribune 9/19/2020
Since 1907 Greeley has enjoyed plentiful surface water rights in the Poudre River Basin. Greeley water users have enjoyed the purest water in the nation, thanks to the wisdom of our forefathers. Greeley’s water starts as snowmelt, drains into the Poudre River and travels to the Bellvue Water Treatment Plant where it is treated and flows by gravity to Greeley. If the water is not needed for immediate use, it is stored in five high mountain reservoirs and Milton Seaman Reservoir until it is needed.
Recently the Greeley Water Board signed an agreement which, if agreed upon by the Greeley City Council in just a few months, will abandon a large portion of the water storage rights in Milton Seaman Reservoir for an elaborate scheme to buy credits in an underground aquifer, Terry Ranch, with proven uranium contamination.
With approval of this agreement by City Council, Greeley will abandon the permitting process with the Corps of Engineers which would allow the enlargement of Milton Seaman Reservoir to accommodate drought storage from the Poudre or other water sources. The enlargement of Milton Seaman Reservoir also allows for the perfection of a conditional 10,000 acre-foot water right decree for future growth. Furthermore, this scheme will forever restrict, under threat of default and other damages, Greeley’s acquisition of new water from any source other than the Terry Ranch aquifer.
The company bringing this “opportunity” to Greeley, Wingfoot, LLC., will share in the revenue Greeley generates from selling water from the aquifer.
This does not seem to be keeping with our forefather’s intentions to have the purist water available for the citizens of Greeley, Evans, Windsor, and other surrounding communities.
Please let our Greeley leaders know how you feel about the Wingfoot “scheme”. Go to greeleygov.com for contact information.
Save Greeley's Water 