Douglas County refines 2050 Water Plan to address groundwater limits and pumping costs

Douglas County refines 2050 Water Plan to address groundwater limits and pumping costsCommissioners are pushing to amend the county's draft water plan to clearly distinguish between physically extractable groundwater and economically viable supplies, citing steep lifting costs from depths of 1,300 feet.

Commissioners debated draft language showing massive groundwater reserves, warning that rising electricity costs for pumping make much of this 'paper water' economically unviable.

The draft plan proposes tying water appeal and increased density approvals to a prohibition on urban-level development relying solely on groundwater.

The county plans to drill new test boreholes—estimated at $60,000 each—to gather precise aquifer data before converting them into monitoring wells in vulnerable neighborhoods.

The finalized Water Plan is slated for adoption by the Board of County Commissioners in August, setting the stage for broader conjunctive use.

The Douglas County Water Commission is moving to finalize its 2050 Water Plan, with members emphasizing the need to manage public expectations regarding the county's long-term groundwater reserves. During a May 18 meeting, commissioners debated how the plan presents the region's aquifer data, warning that large figures could mislead residents about future water security. Commissioner Harold Smith raised concerns about draft graphs detailing massive amounts of physically extractable groundwater. Smith noted that figures suggesting 140,000 acre-feet of available groundwater represent "paper water." He stressed that as the county currently lifts water from depths of 1,300 feet, rising electricity costs will render some of these deep reserves economically unviable. "I don't want to get the word out there... that we have 140,000 annual acre-feet of Arapahoe Basin available, because that may not be true," Smith said, advocating for stronger language supporting a long-term transition to broader conjunctive use and renewable supplies. To protect finite resources, the commission also discussed policy language aimed at restricting urban-level development from relying solely on groundwater. To ensure the policy can withstand legal challenges, commissioners noted the restriction must be explicitly tied to developer requests for water appeals or increased density. To better understand the physical sands and structure of the aquifers, the draft plan includes a localized data-gathering initiative. The county intends to drill test boreholes—estimated at $60,000 per drill—to determine precise aquifer tops, bottoms, and specific yields using methods like nuclear magnetic resonance. Once the data is logged, these boreholes will be converted into permanent monitoring wells. The initiative is expected to target specific neighborhoods actively experiencing water issues, such as Happy Canyon and Grandview Estates. Following public engagement sessions planned for July, the Water Plan will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners for final adoption in August. Commissioners noted that following adoption, the county's comprehensive master plan will likely require modifications to sync with the new water policies and renewable supply goals.