Photo: Discussion at the June 9, 2025, San Juan Water Conservancy District board meeting. Clockwise around the table: Colorado State Senator Cleave Simpson (far left, white-and-brown-striped shirt), and Board members John Kappelman, Rob Hagberg, Randy Cooper, Susan Nossaman (hidden), Candace Jones, Bill Nobles (back to camera).
The San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) met yesterday afternoon to discuss a few water-related items. Restoration of wetlands, for example. The cost of three videos meant to inform the taxpayers about water issues in Archuleta County.
But a significant portion of the meeting was taken up with a discussion between SJWCD board President Candace Jones and a special guest invited to the meeting, state Senator Cleave Simpson, who represents Senate District 6.
District 6 is one of the largest in Colorado, spanning 14 counties… including Archuleta County and covering much of the southwest corner of the state… an area that’s predominantly rural. In addition to working as a state senator, Mr. Simpson works full time as the general manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, a position he’s held since 2013.
President Jones presented what I felt was a reasonably accurate history of the Dry Gulch Reservoir project and the resulting contention between SJWCD and the co-owner of the Running iron Ranch: Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD).
Her ask of Senator Simpson?
Can he possibly find $10.4 million for SJWCD, so they can become sole owners of the Running iron Ranch, and no longer live under the threat that PAWSD will sell the property?
PAWSD received two offers from potential purchasers last year, both willing to pay $10.4 million for the Ranch. The offers were unsolicited, and one of the offers has promised an easement for a future reservoir, along with cash contributions to move the reservoir project forward..
$10,4 million would fully pay off the loan and interest payments that PAWSD customers have been paying towards since 2008.
PAWSD determined in 2013 that the reservoir was a boondoggle, and unnecessary to PAWSD’s long term water needs. But variously constituted SJWCD boards have continued to claim that an 11,000-acre-foot reservoir should be constructed on the Ranch, to serve the community.
SJWCD holds about 11% ownership in the Ranch property, but has thus far been able to prevent PAWSD from selling the Ranch and paying off the loan.
But Ms. Jones also noted that SJWCD cannot easily obtain grants to move the project forward, while they’re fighting with PAWSD about the Ranch. Granting agencies like to give money to projects that have widespread community support. The battle with PAWSD — which now involves a lawsuit — might suggest a lack of widespread community support.
I’ve been attending meetings of the San Juan Water Conservancy District, as a news editor, for the past decade, and I’ve never heard of SJWCD applying for a grant to move the Dry Gulch Reservoir project forward. They did apply for and receive a small grant to produce videos, about threats to local water supplies, but I can’t recall them ever applying for a grant to support Dry Gulch.
The need for public buy-in was reiterated in comments from JR Ford, who represents Archuleta County on the Southwestern Water Conservation District board. He commented on a statement by Ms. Jones regarding the Pagosa community failing to support a tax increase to pay for a new jail, in 2018.
“The commissioners took that to the public twice, and it got voted down twice… but if you went to those public meetings, the public wasn’t against the jail. They were opposed to [an oversized jail] with 58 beds. They were saying, ‘Scale it to our community.’ And I think that’s a great example of what some of us are trying to tell you guys, is that, we’re not against the reservoir; we’re against the reservoir not being scaled to what our community really needs…
“So I would challenge you on one thing. Because you’re going to need to go out and get grants… and I think the number one thing that’s going to be asked, and it’s been asked in public meetings of you guys, is: do you have public buy-in? Do you have good support?
“You guys can’t say that. And that’s going to hurt your grant situation…”
Disclosure: I currently serve as a volunteer member of the PAWSD board of directors, but this editorial series reflects only mu own opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of the full board or the PAWSD staff.
But there’s additional evidence that SJWCD lacks widespread community support.
SJWCD went to the Archuleta County voters in 2018, asking for a tiny increase in their property tax mill levy — an increase of about 0.6 mills — to move the Dry Gulch Project forward. The voters rejected the requested increase, by a 3-to-1 margin.
Yesterday, Senator Simpson listened to the stories from the SJWCD board, and offered to touch base with state agencies that might have funding available. This is not, however, a great year for obtaining government grants. At least, that’s the outlook at the moment.
As I said, I found the presentation by Board President Jones to be fairly stated, based on my knowledge of the controversy.
Except for one very important claim.
When explaining why SJWCD has refused, since November, to meet with Trey Fricke — whose company, Zipper Valley LLC, has offered to help SJWCD raise millions of dollars towards a reservoir on the Running Iron Ranch — Ms. Jones stated that, under the the proposal from Zipper Valley, SJWCD would have to relinquish its reservoir water rights.
This, she stated, the District cannot do.
But while it’s true that the initial proposal to SJWCD — back in October — suggested that SJWCD would hand over its water rights to Zipper Valley, the proposal has undergone substantial changes since October. Ms. Jones is apparently unaware that the most recent presentation, on May 29, clearly states that SJWCD would be the sole owner of the reservoir easement… “and all storage water rights…”
I understand that the currently proposed 3,000 acre-foot reservoir is a quarter of the size SJWCD has been dreaming of constructing someday. That dream dates back to 2009, but absolutely zero progress has been made towards getting it funded.
Meanwhile, the 3,000 acre-foot project has an actual possibility of being constructed, if only SJWCD would sit down with Zipper Valley and begin to negotiate.