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Group pitches unity for rural area water users
On the heels of a Southeast Business Partnership water meeting in July, local officials and residents search for answers to the growing concern about how involved rural users will be in helping find water solutions.
By By:Kiersten J. Mayer
On the heels of a Southeast Business Partnership water meeting in July, local officials and residents search for answers to the growing concern about how involved rural users will be in helping find water solutions.
At a Douglas County Water Team Meeting last week, Protect Our Wells spokesman Larry Stanley of El Paso County said one of his group's goals is to have chapters in every county in the state.
El Paso Water Authority conducted a study three years ago that did not include individual well owners and the group is hoping to "become more forceful," he said.
"For people who live on rural ranches and need representation, we might be a group you should look into," Stanley said. "The more chapters we have the more attention we will get, and we need attention."
He said Protect Our Wells is a non-political group because if it began taking political sides, it wouldn't draw the attention it is getting now.
Jan Dixon, a county resident and geologist who lives near Sedalia, said she doesn't think Douglas County is doing a lot of science with rural water - how much is being used, who water users are, where they live and tracking well levels.
While there are about 5,000 individual well owners in El Paso County, Stanley said they have started a grassroots monitoring system with a hydrogeologist taking well heights sonically once a year.
Elyse Salazar, Douglas County planner, said the county water team's role is community outreach - informing residents of community meetings, identifying representatives from four areas in the county, looking at their own internal policies and facilitating a rural water users' grassroots movement by residents.
Plum Valley Heights resident Jack McCormick said Douglas County officials are obliged to all residents and they have a responsibility to ensure a sustainable water supply to everyone in the county.
"The only entity that represents rural water users right now is the county," he said.
There is a strong effort by water suppliers to prevent representation by rural users on a directorship on whatever water entity is formed, he said. One entity that would give rural water users, well owners and smaller water suppliers a voice would be the formation of a Douglas County Water Conservancy.
"If rural users are not included, that's a tragedy," he said.
The number of wells in Douglas County, estimated at about 8,000, is frightening and it's past time for well users and small communities like Sedalia to get organized, he said.
"Nobody is coming to the table for us. The only representation we have is the county and that's why I'm advocating for a rural conservancy district as soon as possible," McCormick said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
At a Douglas County Water Team Meeting last week, Protect Our Wells spokesman Larry Stanley of El Paso County said one of his group's goals is to have chapters in every county in the state.
El Paso Water Authority conducted a study three years ago that did not include individual well owners and the group is hoping to "become more forceful," he said.
"For people who live on rural ranches and need representation, we might be a group you should look into," Stanley said. "The more chapters we have the more attention we will get, and we need attention."
He said Protect Our Wells is a non-political group because if it began taking political sides, it wouldn't draw the attention it is getting now.
Jan Dixon, a county resident and geologist who lives near Sedalia, said she doesn't think Douglas County is doing a lot of science with rural water - how much is being used, who water users are, where they live and tracking well levels.
While there are about 5,000 individual well owners in El Paso County, Stanley said they have started a grassroots monitoring system with a hydrogeologist taking well heights sonically once a year.
Elyse Salazar, Douglas County planner, said the county water team's role is community outreach - informing residents of community meetings, identifying representatives from four areas in the county, looking at their own internal policies and facilitating a rural water users' grassroots movement by residents.
Plum Valley Heights resident Jack McCormick said Douglas County officials are obliged to all residents and they have a responsibility to ensure a sustainable water supply to everyone in the county.
"The only entity that represents rural water users right now is the county," he said.
There is a strong effort by water suppliers to prevent representation by rural users on a directorship on whatever water entity is formed, he said. One entity that would give rural water users, well owners and smaller water suppliers a voice would be the formation of a Douglas County Water Conservancy.
"If rural users are not included, that's a tragedy," he said.
The number of wells in Douglas County, estimated at about 8,000, is frightening and it's past time for well users and small communities like Sedalia to get organized, he said.
"Nobody is coming to the table for us. The only representation we have is the county and that's why I'm advocating for a rural conservancy district as soon as possible," McCormick said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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