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Well owners replace two times as many wells in 2002
As the drought entered its worst year last year, Douglas County well owners replaced twice the number of wells they did before.
By By: Christine McManus
As the drought entered its worst year last year, Douglas County well owners replaced twice the number of wells they did before.
However, the Colorado Division of Water Resources, which regulates all water wells in the state, issued 17 percent fewer residential permits last year than it has issued to Douglas County landowners in a couple years.
Well permits have been renewed in all parts of the county. One area where landowners have publicly protested the declining water tables is in the West Plum Creek Valley in western Douglas County.
About a dozen rural residents who publicly protested the development of a golf resort subdivision said their wells had run dry in different aquifer layers.
Most households in the county rely on nonrenewable, underground water supplies, unlike Denver Water, which relies on mountain snows that flow into rivers such as the South Platte River in western Douglas County.
In 2002, the Colorado Division of Water Resources issued 68 replacement well permits in the county. In 2000 and 2001, the division issued 35 and 33 replacement permits, respectively, for Douglas County landowners to replace wells that ran dry.
Two hundred twenty residential well permits were issued last year, down from the 276 well permits issued in 2000 and the 265 in 2001.
Eighty-five percent of the wells in Douglas County, 7,600 out of 8,900, are residential. Five percent, or 471 wells, are agricultural, either for livestock, 259 wells, or irrigation, 212 wells.
The number of new well permits issued overall every year in Douglas County - including residential, commercial, livestock, municipal and monitoring permits - has not changed much in the past several years. In 2000-02, the state issued 348, 355 and 345 permits, respectively.
However, 26 percent more applications for all types of well permits were turned into the state last year. Of the 468 applications turned in last year, 345 permits were granted in the county. Sometimes the division and the landowners who want new wells will spend months completing technical paperwork before the state accepts an application as complete.
Completing the application is more than half the battle for the landowner. Out of about 10,000 permits issued in Colorado every year, about 50 are denied, said Dick Wolfe, water resource engineer with the state.
Applications are denied when the landowner asks for more water than permissible under state law. Applications must also have an augmentation plan, Wolfe said.
One potential trend beginning to appear is the increase in well-monitoring permits issued in the county. People who ask for monitoring permits are typically checking the water level or the water quality on their land, Wolfe said.
Whereas 18 monitoring permits were granted in 2000, 63 monitoring permits were issued last year.
Municipal permit issuances decreased from 12 issued in 2000 to two issued last year. Municipal wells serve a district or a city.
Commercial and industrial permits increased last year, after dips in 2001. Twelve commercial permits were issued in 2002, compared with eight in 2001 and 14 in 2000 for 158 commercial wells in the county.
Twenty-four industrial permits were issued last year, compared with eight permits issued in 2001 and 13 in 2000. Forty-seven industrial wells pump water to industrial properties countywide.
Records are organized only at the state and county levels, so specific areas where wells had to be replaced were not available.
However, the Colorado Division of Water Resources, which regulates all water wells in the state, issued 17 percent fewer residential permits last year than it has issued to Douglas County landowners in a couple years.
Well permits have been renewed in all parts of the county. One area where landowners have publicly protested the declining water tables is in the West Plum Creek Valley in western Douglas County.
About a dozen rural residents who publicly protested the development of a golf resort subdivision said their wells had run dry in different aquifer layers.
Most households in the county rely on nonrenewable, underground water supplies, unlike Denver Water, which relies on mountain snows that flow into rivers such as the South Platte River in western Douglas County.
In 2002, the Colorado Division of Water Resources issued 68 replacement well permits in the county. In 2000 and 2001, the division issued 35 and 33 replacement permits, respectively, for Douglas County landowners to replace wells that ran dry.
Two hundred twenty residential well permits were issued last year, down from the 276 well permits issued in 2000 and the 265 in 2001.
Eighty-five percent of the wells in Douglas County, 7,600 out of 8,900, are residential. Five percent, or 471 wells, are agricultural, either for livestock, 259 wells, or irrigation, 212 wells.
The number of new well permits issued overall every year in Douglas County - including residential, commercial, livestock, municipal and monitoring permits - has not changed much in the past several years. In 2000-02, the state issued 348, 355 and 345 permits, respectively.
However, 26 percent more applications for all types of well permits were turned into the state last year. Of the 468 applications turned in last year, 345 permits were granted in the county. Sometimes the division and the landowners who want new wells will spend months completing technical paperwork before the state accepts an application as complete.
Completing the application is more than half the battle for the landowner. Out of about 10,000 permits issued in Colorado every year, about 50 are denied, said Dick Wolfe, water resource engineer with the state.
Applications are denied when the landowner asks for more water than permissible under state law. Applications must also have an augmentation plan, Wolfe said.
One potential trend beginning to appear is the increase in well-monitoring permits issued in the county. People who ask for monitoring permits are typically checking the water level or the water quality on their land, Wolfe said.
Whereas 18 monitoring permits were granted in 2000, 63 monitoring permits were issued last year.
Municipal permit issuances decreased from 12 issued in 2000 to two issued last year. Municipal wells serve a district or a city.
Commercial and industrial permits increased last year, after dips in 2001. Twelve commercial permits were issued in 2002, compared with eight in 2001 and 14 in 2000 for 158 commercial wells in the county.
Twenty-four industrial permits were issued last year, compared with eight permits issued in 2001 and 13 in 2000. Forty-seven industrial wells pump water to industrial properties countywide.
Records are organized only at the state and county levels, so specific areas where wells had to be replaced were not available.
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