Pueblo West leans on reserves, new conservation rates to combat unprecedented early river call

Pueblo West leans on reserves, new conservation rates to combat unprecedented early river callAn exceptionally warm winter and an early 'Cameo call' on the Colorado River have disrupted the district's spring runoff, prompting Pueblo West to tap into its 10,000 acre-feet of stored water and expand groundwater irrigation projects to protect municipal supplies.

An unusual April 27 Cameo call on the Colorado River temporarily shut off the Twin Lakes Tunnel, disrupting the district's primary spring water diversion.

The district holds nearly 10,000 acre-feet in storage across Twin Lakes, Lake Pueblo, and Lake Meredith, easily covering the 3,590 acre-feet needed for the remainder of the water year.

To curb demand, Pueblo West introduced a new fourth-tier conservation rate this year, penalizing consumption exceeding 30,000 gallons.

The district is preparing to bid Phase 2 of a groundwater project to bring three additional wells online for golf course irrigation, preserving potable surface water.

Pueblo West Metro District is deploying a mix of stored reserves, new punitive water rates, and groundwater expansion to navigate exceptional drought conditions and an unprecedented disruption to its spring water supply. During a May 11 presentation to the Board of Directors, Water Resource Manager Alyssa Vasquez detailed the severe hydrological challenges facing the Colorado district. With winter temperatures averaging 6.3 degrees hotter than normal, the region experienced an exceptionally early runoff. This culminated in a rare April 27 'Cameo call' on the Colorado River by senior agricultural rights holders in the Palisade and Grand Junction areas. The call temporarily shut off the Twin Lakes Tunnel, a critical transbasin diversion that supplies the majority of Pueblo West's spring water. Despite the disruption, district officials emphasized that municipal supplies remain secure. Pueblo West currently holds nearly 10,000 acre-feet of water in storage across Twin Lakes, Lake Pueblo, and Lake Meredith. With the district projecting a demand of just 3,590 acre-feet for the remainder of the water year, Vasquez noted that the district would be 'absolutely fine' even if it received no additional inflows. To bolster its portfolio, the district is leasing 1,500 acre-feet from the Public Water Board and has begun taking deliveries from its Hill Ranch water rights for the first time since 2023. To suppress peaking summer demand, Utilities Program Coordinator Catherine Cluff outlined newly implemented demand management strategies. For the first time, the district has activated a fourth-tier conservation rate, which applies higher charges to any residential water use exceeding 30,000 gallons. The district is also actively monitoring system usage and is prepared to declare Stage 1 water restrictions by June 1 if conditions worsen, which would limit outdoor watering to two days a week. Simultaneously, Pueblo West is advancing infrastructure upgrades to offset potable water demand. The district is preparing to issue a bid for the final portion of its Phase 2 groundwater project, which will connect three additional wells to a storage pond for golf course irrigation. By substituting groundwater for irrigation, the district expects to preserve a significant volume of surface water for municipal treatment. A secondary well project is also slated for the 2026-2027 capital plan.