Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Cornerstone Named Best Private Course by Golf Magazine
Greg Norman Course to Host Senior Tournament
MONTROSE – The unparalleled beauty of Cornerstone’s setting atop the Uncompahgre Plateau is enough to set it apart from other mountain developments. But add to that a Greg Norman-designed golf course and be prepared for national recognition.
The January 2009 issue of Golf Magazine, currently on newsstands, has named Cornerstone the #1 Best New Private Golf Course in the country.
The 7,945-yard, par 72 course was touted by the editors at Golf Magazine as “easily the best high-altitude course in the nation, and quite possibly the world.” They called it Norman’s “finest North American project to date.” This prestigious recognition, which bested Donald Trump’s National Bedminster in New Jersey (#2), comes six months after all 18 holes were opened in July.
“This is something we are certainly proud of,” Head Golf Pro and Golf Manager Sean Tannehill said in an interview last week. “This is a golf course that is designed for everybody. My favorite thing about the course is the possibility of playing a multitude of different approaches, which enables a lot of bump and runs and a lot of great shots.”
The editors at Golf Magazine also made note of the way the course uses the natural landscape: “Purists will appreciate the tough forced carries and greens that often demand run-up approach shots, and the fast greens and shaved surrounds even things up for players of all abilities.”
The course was designed according to Norman’s well-known “least disturbance” philosophy, which curtails massive earth movement, reduces large-scale clearing and takes full advantage of the natural features on the landscape. The course covers more than 300 acres and is designed to provide golfers at all skill levels an enjoyable game.
“When Greg Norman first toured the land on snowmobile, he immediately saw the potential for the golf course and we partnered with him knowing that we had selected the best designer in the business,” said Larry Corsen, senior vice president of Hunt Realty Inc., a privately held real estate investment company, and owner and operator of Cornerstone. “We are thrilled to see our dream of Greg’s talent come to fruition and be recognized as the number one private golf course by Golf Magazine. We are truly honored to be at the top of this revered category of golf course in the United States.”
As if the #1 ranking wasn’t enough, Tannehill said that Cornerstone will be hosting the Colorado Senior Amateur Championship the first week in September.
“For us, it is a great way to get senior competitive players to play our course and to this part of Colorado,” said Tannehill. “All of these championships have always been held out on the Front Range [of Colorado] and it is a great opporunity for us.”
Members of Cornerstone have access to a 20-plus acre practice facility and some of the finest golf professionals and staff in the nation. Mark Wood has consistently been ranked one of the top 50 instructors in the country for the past 10 years, and Kathy Hart-Wood, former LPGA touring pro and also a celebrated top 50 instructor as named by Golf for Women, is director of women’s golf. Cornerstone also recently celebrated the opening of its clubhouse, which includes a casual bar and grill, outdoor dining and the Village Mercantile, featuring a golf pro shop and outfitters’ headquarters.
Written by Gus Jarvis
Saturday, December 27, 2008
35 Acres is Best?
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 26, 2008
Oh, the curse of the 35-acre parcel. The old ranchers' saying goes, "to small to farm, too big to mow."
Yet 35 is the magic number in Ouray County's unique and innovative Land Use Code (LUC). In both Valley and Alpine zones, where the LUC discourages development, that is the number of acres where private property owners have the right to construct a home.
The LUC is the companion document to the county's Master Plan. There, in Section A, the county's collective goal is "to encourage the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity." To date, much of that goal has been met; Ouray County's valued valleys have mostly remained with haying and cattle activities, though a few homes have sprung up at the 35 acre density.
Outgoing County Commissioner Don Batchelder warns that just because the Master Plan aspiration is being met today, that doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow.
"… there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of the smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," writes Batchelder, in a two-page proposal titled "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone Through the Developer Agreement Process."
At first blush, the proposal seems to have great potential to be a win-win proposition — preventing the break-up of parcels into the undesirable 35s, and giving landowners a means to preserve the considerable value of their land. The proposal deserves a thorough hearing, and if favored by those it affects, implementation.
As Batchelder points out, ranchers are typically a tough sell when it comes to government regulation. As such, to gain buy-in, the new code would have to be fairly straight forward. He proposes:
n The density per housing unit in the Valley Zone be doubled, to 70 acres.
n Ranch owners could cluster houses under a development agreement, as long as 80% of the land remains dedicated to agriculture, and that water rights remain tied to the property.
In all, five amendments to the LUC are proposed, but Batchelder's solution to the 35-acre dilemma remains simple, and seemingly viable.
Written by: David Mullings
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 26, 2008
Oh, the curse of the 35-acre parcel. The old ranchers' saying goes, "to small to farm, too big to mow."
Yet 35 is the magic number in Ouray County's unique and innovative Land Use Code (LUC). In both Valley and Alpine zones, where the LUC discourages development, that is the number of acres where private property owners have the right to construct a home.
The LUC is the companion document to the county's Master Plan. There, in Section A, the county's collective goal is "to encourage the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity." To date, much of that goal has been met; Ouray County's valued valleys have mostly remained with haying and cattle activities, though a few homes have sprung up at the 35 acre density.
Outgoing County Commissioner Don Batchelder warns that just because the Master Plan aspiration is being met today, that doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow.
"… there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of the smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," writes Batchelder, in a two-page proposal titled "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone Through the Developer Agreement Process."
At first blush, the proposal seems to have great potential to be a win-win proposition — preventing the break-up of parcels into the undesirable 35s, and giving landowners a means to preserve the considerable value of their land. The proposal deserves a thorough hearing, and if favored by those it affects, implementation.
As Batchelder points out, ranchers are typically a tough sell when it comes to government regulation. As such, to gain buy-in, the new code would have to be fairly straight forward. He proposes:
n The density per housing unit in the Valley Zone be doubled, to 70 acres.
n Ranch owners could cluster houses under a development agreement, as long as 80% of the land remains dedicated to agriculture, and that water rights remain tied to the property.
In all, five amendments to the LUC are proposed, but Batchelder's solution to the 35-acre dilemma remains simple, and seemingly viable.
Written by: David Mullings
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Protecting real estate values in Ouray Colorado
Posted by Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written by:
Christopher Pike
December 19, 2008
OURAY — Before he leaves office next month, Don Batchelder wants to address an issue he believes is important for the future of ranching in Ouray County.
The issue: Incentives for the preservation of ranch lands and, in tandem, keeping water rights with those lands in the county.
"The county hasn't done anything in preserving those facets of the Master Plan," said Batchelder at Monday's Board of County Commissioners meeting. "There is potential for losing some of the ranch lands in the valleys, with only the potential for breaking those tracts into 35s."
Batchelder believes that the Ouray County Master Plan's goal of "encouraging the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity" will not be met without larger tracts being protected from non-ag uses, including housing development.
"The tendency in land use issues is to assume that what exists is how things will remain. However, there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," said Batchelder in a two-page white paper titled, "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone through the Development Agreement Process."
The current code, Batchelder points out, "does nothing" to prevent the subdivision of agricultural land into 35-acre parcels and by state law there is no governmental review of these property divisions. And, he adds, the county's Land Use Code does nothing to keep water rights in the county.
With land prices being as high as they are, 35-acre parcels have become the target for non-agricultural development, be it straight-ahead commercial, recreational or industrial, Batchelder said. "Ranchers have a saying about 35-acre lots: 'too small to farm and too big for a lawn'."
The catch is finding an incentive for property owners to preserve productive ag land without diminishing the land's value and to keeping land from being separated from water rights, which ultimately results in land being more conducive for subdivision development — not agriculture.
Regulation alone will not suffice, noted Batchelder.
"Ranchers are typically no-nonsense, self-employed business people with distaste for government regulation. The proposal needs to be understandable, simple, straightforward, and not burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic process."
Batchelder's proposal will be discussed informally at the BOCC's Dec. 22 meeting. One key component is to set maximum densities "except for property divided in accordance with a development agreement." The landowner would have to reciprocate, however, by restricting use of the parcel to agriculture uses, keeping the water rights on the land, and locating any home or homes in a clustered fashion.
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written by:
Christopher Pike
December 19, 2008
OURAY — Before he leaves office next month, Don Batchelder wants to address an issue he believes is important for the future of ranching in Ouray County.
The issue: Incentives for the preservation of ranch lands and, in tandem, keeping water rights with those lands in the county.
"The county hasn't done anything in preserving those facets of the Master Plan," said Batchelder at Monday's Board of County Commissioners meeting. "There is potential for losing some of the ranch lands in the valleys, with only the potential for breaking those tracts into 35s."
Batchelder believes that the Ouray County Master Plan's goal of "encouraging the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity" will not be met without larger tracts being protected from non-ag uses, including housing development.
"The tendency in land use issues is to assume that what exists is how things will remain. However, there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," said Batchelder in a two-page white paper titled, "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone through the Development Agreement Process."
The current code, Batchelder points out, "does nothing" to prevent the subdivision of agricultural land into 35-acre parcels and by state law there is no governmental review of these property divisions. And, he adds, the county's Land Use Code does nothing to keep water rights in the county.
With land prices being as high as they are, 35-acre parcels have become the target for non-agricultural development, be it straight-ahead commercial, recreational or industrial, Batchelder said. "Ranchers have a saying about 35-acre lots: 'too small to farm and too big for a lawn'."
The catch is finding an incentive for property owners to preserve productive ag land without diminishing the land's value and to keeping land from being separated from water rights, which ultimately results in land being more conducive for subdivision development — not agriculture.
Regulation alone will not suffice, noted Batchelder.
"Ranchers are typically no-nonsense, self-employed business people with distaste for government regulation. The proposal needs to be understandable, simple, straightforward, and not burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic process."
Batchelder's proposal will be discussed informally at the BOCC's Dec. 22 meeting. One key component is to set maximum densities "except for property divided in accordance with a development agreement." The landowner would have to reciprocate, however, by restricting use of the parcel to agriculture uses, keeping the water rights on the land, and locating any home or homes in a clustered fashion.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Foreclosures in Ouray
Posted by: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 05, 2008
Written By - Christopher Pike
Real estate foreclosures are up and tax lien sales have increased substantially this year in Ouray County and surrounding counties.
Reports from three county treasurers indicate a slump in the region's real estate economy.
"We have eight current foreclosures right now, getting two or three over the past few weeks," Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported two weeks ago to the Board of County Commissioners.
Casolari said Monday Ouray County has received nine foreclosures as of Dec. 1; there were seven total foreclosures for all of 2007.
Casolari said there were 88 parcels subject to the 2008 tax lien sale conducted by the treasurer's office in early November, which recovered $185,084 in unpaid tax revenues. Premiums over the amount of taxes owed amounted to $3,890.
Those figures are up by more than $100,000 from 2007 when lien sales totaled $84,079 involving 60 parcels; that amount included $5,410 in premium bids.
Montrose County Treasurer Rosemary Murphy also said as of Dec. 1 there have been 146 foreclosures, 60 more compared to this time in 2007.
Murphy said most of the foreclosures in Montrose County involved improved properties and were situated within the city limits.
At the county's tax lien sales, Murphy said buyers bought liens of 340 properties, about 100 more than last year. Vacant lots and various subdivisions constituted the bulk of those properties, she said.
In San Miguel County there have been 34 foreclosures "so far through 2008," according to Maureen Dorka, chief deputy treasurer, which is 19 more than this time last year. That county's tax lien sale on Nov. 24 yielded $462,677.59 involving 103 properties.
That sales figure includes interest of $28,286.32, recovered advertising fees and premium bids over the amount in arrears. "That compares with 98 properties that were sold last year," said Dorka.
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 05, 2008
Written By - Christopher Pike
Real estate foreclosures are up and tax lien sales have increased substantially this year in Ouray County and surrounding counties.
Reports from three county treasurers indicate a slump in the region's real estate economy.
"We have eight current foreclosures right now, getting two or three over the past few weeks," Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported two weeks ago to the Board of County Commissioners.
Casolari said Monday Ouray County has received nine foreclosures as of Dec. 1; there were seven total foreclosures for all of 2007.
Casolari said there were 88 parcels subject to the 2008 tax lien sale conducted by the treasurer's office in early November, which recovered $185,084 in unpaid tax revenues. Premiums over the amount of taxes owed amounted to $3,890.
Those figures are up by more than $100,000 from 2007 when lien sales totaled $84,079 involving 60 parcels; that amount included $5,410 in premium bids.
Montrose County Treasurer Rosemary Murphy also said as of Dec. 1 there have been 146 foreclosures, 60 more compared to this time in 2007.
Murphy said most of the foreclosures in Montrose County involved improved properties and were situated within the city limits.
At the county's tax lien sales, Murphy said buyers bought liens of 340 properties, about 100 more than last year. Vacant lots and various subdivisions constituted the bulk of those properties, she said.
In San Miguel County there have been 34 foreclosures "so far through 2008," according to Maureen Dorka, chief deputy treasurer, which is 19 more than this time last year. That county's tax lien sale on Nov. 24 yielded $462,677.59 involving 103 properties.
That sales figure includes interest of $28,286.32, recovered advertising fees and premium bids over the amount in arrears. "That compares with 98 properties that were sold last year," said Dorka.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Ouray Hot Springs Grant?
November 28, 2008
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written By: Samantha Tisdel Wright
The natural hot springs that bubble to the surface along the Uncompahgre River and Canyon Creek near Ouray are good for more than skinny-dipping.
Ouray Mayor Bob Risch and others involved in a geothermal inventory currently underway envision a day when that free energy can be put to use as a small-scale energy source for the municipality.
A $25,000 grant, awarded to the city by the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) on Oct. 2, is funding the effort to chronicle the many springs that surface within city limits.
"We recognize that we are exceptionally fortunate in our available geothermal and hydroelectric resources and have a responsibility to utilize these assets in the most efficient ways possible," wrote Risch in the grant request. "Our primary interest at this stage in the exploration of our geothermal resources is the complete inventorying of our springs in terms of energy content, options for cost-effective utilization, and legal ownership history and status."
Nobody knows Ouray's hot springs better than hydrologist and geothermal consultant Wayne Goin, who for years has worked for Linda Wright-Minter monitoring the hot springs which feed her Wiesbaden enterprise, and is now consulting with the city in its geothermal surveying efforts. His methodology is pretty simple – put on a pair of sneakers and wade up the river until you feel it getting warmer.
That's how he found "The Minions," a group of hot springs that surfaces along Canyon Creek, for which he filed rights on behalf of Wright-Minter years ago.
The Minions now belong to the city, which got them in a settlement with Wright-Minter following an ugly legal battle stemming from an extensive effort some 20 years ago to drill for and exploit additional sources of hot water in Ouray in the 1980s. The city is still paying off debt servicing for the $550,000 settlement. The lawsuit also had statewide ramifications in the form of Geothermal Rules adopted by the state in the 1980s, followed by strict new requirements for well drilling by the state's Division of Water Resources in 2004.
This time around, a more cautious approach is being taken, by all who are involved. First and foremost, drilling is out of the equation.
"Our approach to the inventorying process is non-invasive," Goin stressed. "We're simply trying to get a snapshot in time of what's going on with the geothermal resources.... It's kind of the hobo approach."
Which basically means, wade up into the canyon, GPS the known springs and take their temperature, measure their outflow, and maybe find some new ones in the process. From the Minions to the fish pond, a lot of geothermal energy is currently going to waste.
Winter is an ideal time to conduct this kind of work, Goin explained, because both the level of groundwater and the river are at their lowest levels of the year. In spring and summer, many of the hot springs which surface along Canyon Creek are obscured by spring run-off.
A report from the city to the GEO regarding the endeavor is due by mid-May, and may be followed by a county-wide hot-springs inventory. The immediate goal is to have monitoring of all known hot springs in place by the end of the year, Risch said.
A logical succeeding step outlined in the GEO grant will be the preparation of a plan to update the heating plants of appropriate public buildings and facilities in Ouray. As stated in the grant request, "The second phase will involve the identification of appropriate projects and requisite funding perhaps including carbon-offset sources, to begin replacing fossil fuel space heating plants with geothermal options."
The Colorado Geothermal Development Strategic Plan has identified Ouray County as one of several areas in the state with the potential to develop geothermal energy. The new energy standard spelled out by Gov. Bill Ritter mandates that 20% of all energy produced in Colo. must be renewable by the year 2020. Toward that end, the GEO is currently supporting efforts to inventory the state's considerable geothermal resources.
The Bureau of Land Management, too, has launched ambitious plans to assess the geothermal potential.
Electricity generation is beyond the scope of what the city is trying to do with its current inventorying project, but Risch, who has made energy efficiency the cornerstone of his mayoral role since he took office nearly a year ago, wouldn't mind harnessing some of the tail-water and overflow that currently goes to waste, and using it to heat a municipal building or two.
As he prepared to pull on some waders and head up into Canyon Creek with Goin earlier this week, the mayor paused, grinning. "Every day is another revelation."
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written By: Samantha Tisdel Wright
The natural hot springs that bubble to the surface along the Uncompahgre River and Canyon Creek near Ouray are good for more than skinny-dipping.
Ouray Mayor Bob Risch and others involved in a geothermal inventory currently underway envision a day when that free energy can be put to use as a small-scale energy source for the municipality.
A $25,000 grant, awarded to the city by the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) on Oct. 2, is funding the effort to chronicle the many springs that surface within city limits.
"We recognize that we are exceptionally fortunate in our available geothermal and hydroelectric resources and have a responsibility to utilize these assets in the most efficient ways possible," wrote Risch in the grant request. "Our primary interest at this stage in the exploration of our geothermal resources is the complete inventorying of our springs in terms of energy content, options for cost-effective utilization, and legal ownership history and status."
Nobody knows Ouray's hot springs better than hydrologist and geothermal consultant Wayne Goin, who for years has worked for Linda Wright-Minter monitoring the hot springs which feed her Wiesbaden enterprise, and is now consulting with the city in its geothermal surveying efforts. His methodology is pretty simple – put on a pair of sneakers and wade up the river until you feel it getting warmer.
That's how he found "The Minions," a group of hot springs that surfaces along Canyon Creek, for which he filed rights on behalf of Wright-Minter years ago.
The Minions now belong to the city, which got them in a settlement with Wright-Minter following an ugly legal battle stemming from an extensive effort some 20 years ago to drill for and exploit additional sources of hot water in Ouray in the 1980s. The city is still paying off debt servicing for the $550,000 settlement. The lawsuit also had statewide ramifications in the form of Geothermal Rules adopted by the state in the 1980s, followed by strict new requirements for well drilling by the state's Division of Water Resources in 2004.
This time around, a more cautious approach is being taken, by all who are involved. First and foremost, drilling is out of the equation.
"Our approach to the inventorying process is non-invasive," Goin stressed. "We're simply trying to get a snapshot in time of what's going on with the geothermal resources.... It's kind of the hobo approach."
Which basically means, wade up into the canyon, GPS the known springs and take their temperature, measure their outflow, and maybe find some new ones in the process. From the Minions to the fish pond, a lot of geothermal energy is currently going to waste.
Winter is an ideal time to conduct this kind of work, Goin explained, because both the level of groundwater and the river are at their lowest levels of the year. In spring and summer, many of the hot springs which surface along Canyon Creek are obscured by spring run-off.
A report from the city to the GEO regarding the endeavor is due by mid-May, and may be followed by a county-wide hot-springs inventory. The immediate goal is to have monitoring of all known hot springs in place by the end of the year, Risch said.
A logical succeeding step outlined in the GEO grant will be the preparation of a plan to update the heating plants of appropriate public buildings and facilities in Ouray. As stated in the grant request, "The second phase will involve the identification of appropriate projects and requisite funding perhaps including carbon-offset sources, to begin replacing fossil fuel space heating plants with geothermal options."
The Colorado Geothermal Development Strategic Plan has identified Ouray County as one of several areas in the state with the potential to develop geothermal energy. The new energy standard spelled out by Gov. Bill Ritter mandates that 20% of all energy produced in Colo. must be renewable by the year 2020. Toward that end, the GEO is currently supporting efforts to inventory the state's considerable geothermal resources.
The Bureau of Land Management, too, has launched ambitious plans to assess the geothermal potential.
Electricity generation is beyond the scope of what the city is trying to do with its current inventorying project, but Risch, who has made energy efficiency the cornerstone of his mayoral role since he took office nearly a year ago, wouldn't mind harnessing some of the tail-water and overflow that currently goes to waste, and using it to heat a municipal building or two.
As he prepared to pull on some waders and head up into Canyon Creek with Goin earlier this week, the mayor paused, grinning. "Every day is another revelation."
Friday, November 21, 2008
Water call in Ouray County
Posted by Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
November 21, 2008
Written by:
Samantha Tisdel Wright
Thirsty desert cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles could conceivably leave Ouray County high and dry, if proper action is not taken to protect water rights, attorney Andy Mueller warned the Ouray City Council this week.
"All kinds of rights are subject to being cut off," Mueller said, "even municipal rights."
Mueller is Ouray County's representative on the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) Board, which since 1937 has been protecting Western Colorado water on behalf of the more than 500,000 Coloradoans who live on the western side of the Continental Divide.
The Colorado River, the vena cava of the American West into which much of the snowpack and springwater of the San Juan Mountains eventually drains, meanders its way through seven states before (just barely) making it across the border into Mexico and the Gulf of California.
It's water is divvied up according to two "Colorado River Compacts" dating back to 1922 and 1948.
In 2007, the Colorado State Legislature commissioned a study to determine just how much of our namesake river's water is left to develop.
"The study goes to the heart of a Colorado River District concern that the Colorado River basin not fall under a compact call," wrote board president Peter Kasper in the district's annual report, "whereby Colorado might have to cut back on its water use in order to meet water delivery obligations to other states downstream."
Thus far, the Colorado River Basin, to which the Uncompaghre River is a tributary, has remained free from a dread compact call.
"And we want to keep it that way through good planning that acknowledges that there is a finite water supply," Kasper emphasized.
Downstream Colorado River states would like nothing better than to open up the compacts for renegotiation, but Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, with their much smaller populations and political clout, are "afraid we would get run over," if that ever happened, Mueller said.
Even with good planning, climate change and urban sprawl are growing threats to upstream water users in the Colorado River Basin.
The affects of climate change are already beginning to manifest in a shorter run-off season, which impacts the flow of the river and the people who depend upon it downstream. The Colorado River Water Conservation District Board has been actively generating innovative ideas, such as water banking and planned fallowing to help up-stream water users get through dry years without triggering a compact curtailment.
"We can't turn fire hydrants off," Mueller said. "Cities will be looking at alternative ways to augment their water rights. They could, for example, buy up ranch land with pre-1922 rights and then let that water flow to Lake Powell, to make up for the water they take at the headwaters."
It's not just the cities downstream in the Colorado River watershed that have cast a larcenous eye upon the pristine water of the San Juans. Sprawling Front Range Colorado communities are equally thirsty and greedy, often exhibiting what Mueller called a "buy it and dry it" mentality when it come to water rights.
This spectre could loom for Western Slope communities like Ouray and Ridgway if protective action is not taken, Mueller warned. "It's a huge issue that will take years for a solution. And it has the potential to impact the county."
Only once in the recent past has Ouray's water been subject to call. That was during the drought of 2002. If the letter of the law had been explicitely followed at that time, Mueller said, the city should have stopped the diversion of Weehawken Spring, its sole municipal water source.
City Council and staff have been actively addressing the issue of water rights in recent months and have hired Wright Water Engineering to conduct an inventory of the city's water rights and options for augmentation.
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
November 21, 2008
Written by:
Samantha Tisdel Wright
Thirsty desert cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles could conceivably leave Ouray County high and dry, if proper action is not taken to protect water rights, attorney Andy Mueller warned the Ouray City Council this week.
"All kinds of rights are subject to being cut off," Mueller said, "even municipal rights."
Mueller is Ouray County's representative on the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) Board, which since 1937 has been protecting Western Colorado water on behalf of the more than 500,000 Coloradoans who live on the western side of the Continental Divide.
The Colorado River, the vena cava of the American West into which much of the snowpack and springwater of the San Juan Mountains eventually drains, meanders its way through seven states before (just barely) making it across the border into Mexico and the Gulf of California.
It's water is divvied up according to two "Colorado River Compacts" dating back to 1922 and 1948.
In 2007, the Colorado State Legislature commissioned a study to determine just how much of our namesake river's water is left to develop.
"The study goes to the heart of a Colorado River District concern that the Colorado River basin not fall under a compact call," wrote board president Peter Kasper in the district's annual report, "whereby Colorado might have to cut back on its water use in order to meet water delivery obligations to other states downstream."
Thus far, the Colorado River Basin, to which the Uncompaghre River is a tributary, has remained free from a dread compact call.
"And we want to keep it that way through good planning that acknowledges that there is a finite water supply," Kasper emphasized.
Downstream Colorado River states would like nothing better than to open up the compacts for renegotiation, but Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, with their much smaller populations and political clout, are "afraid we would get run over," if that ever happened, Mueller said.
Even with good planning, climate change and urban sprawl are growing threats to upstream water users in the Colorado River Basin.
The affects of climate change are already beginning to manifest in a shorter run-off season, which impacts the flow of the river and the people who depend upon it downstream. The Colorado River Water Conservation District Board has been actively generating innovative ideas, such as water banking and planned fallowing to help up-stream water users get through dry years without triggering a compact curtailment.
"We can't turn fire hydrants off," Mueller said. "Cities will be looking at alternative ways to augment their water rights. They could, for example, buy up ranch land with pre-1922 rights and then let that water flow to Lake Powell, to make up for the water they take at the headwaters."
It's not just the cities downstream in the Colorado River watershed that have cast a larcenous eye upon the pristine water of the San Juans. Sprawling Front Range Colorado communities are equally thirsty and greedy, often exhibiting what Mueller called a "buy it and dry it" mentality when it come to water rights.
This spectre could loom for Western Slope communities like Ouray and Ridgway if protective action is not taken, Mueller warned. "It's a huge issue that will take years for a solution. And it has the potential to impact the county."
Only once in the recent past has Ouray's water been subject to call. That was during the drought of 2002. If the letter of the law had been explicitely followed at that time, Mueller said, the city should have stopped the diversion of Weehawken Spring, its sole municipal water source.
City Council and staff have been actively addressing the issue of water rights in recent months and have hired Wright Water Engineering to conduct an inventory of the city's water rights and options for augmentation.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Swimming Upstream
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
November 14, 2008
Written By:
Samantha Tisdel Wright
Everyone knows that the Ouray Hot Springs Pool is the biggest cash cow the city has going, generating revenue of almost a cool million, annually.
But that money, which is used to prop up the city's whole "parks" infrastructure (from the North Ouray Corridor to the Community Center to Box Cañon Park and everything in between) has been stretched too thin. The 2008 ending fund balance for the Parks Fund is projected to be $793,464 in the red.
That's a pretty big number. Big enough to have caught the attention of auditors who scrutinize the city's books. And the word has come down: "You'd better fix it."
The city's draft 2009 budget proposes to start doing this by taking the community center (an annual $70,652 expenditure) and the dredging of the North Ouray Corridor (for which $20,000 is budgeted every spring) out of the Parks Fund and parking them in the General Fund, instead. But the city still has a long hard slog to get its parks budget back in the black. Administrator Patrick Rondinelli said if the current pattern holds, the Parks Fund is projected to remain in a deficit until "at least 2023."
How did this come to be? Quite simply, the cash cow is being multi-tasked dry. Or in the words of Rondinelli, "operating expenses are outpacing revenues." Of a projected $950,000 in pool revenues in 2009, the pool itself will rack up $822,000 in operating expenses. That doesn't leave a whole lot of leftovers to spread around to the city's considerable parks infrastructure.
"Per capita, Ouray probably has more park lands per resident than any other town in Colorado, with the possible exception of Boulder," Rondinelli said. "And we're trying to acquire the Ice Park, which will add even more."
Many municipalities have a taxable "Parks and Rec" district to cover the upkeep of their community assets. But the City of Ouray's budget is set up in such a way that the "Parks Fund" gets its revenues exclusively from the pool and Box Cañon Park (a combined $1.3 million in the 2008 budget).
This fund, set up as an "enterprise fund," is separate from the city's "General Fund" which pays for the day-to-day operations of the municipality. All taxes and fees collected by the city flow directly into the General Fund. By law, no more that 10% of moneys in one kind of fund can flow into another.
Thus, the sales taxes and fees collected by the city cannot, under the current structure, go toward the maintenance of the city's park lands.
The Parks Fund currently encompasses the Hot Springs Pool and gym, Box Cañon Park, Rotary Park, Lee's Ski Hill, the North Ouray Corridor, and "general parks and services," including Community Center expenses, which will shift to the General Fund next year. None of these places are cheap to maintain – the city spends $20,000 annually at Rotary Park, alone – and only the pool and Box Canyon Park bring in direct revenues.
Making matters worse is a $550,000 legal settlement pertaining to a 2004 dispute in which the city was accused of disturbing the Wiesbaden's geothermal source, which drains the Parks Fund of $114,000 annually in debt service. The last payment will be made in 2010.
All of this is bad news for the cash cow itself. According to Rondinelli, out of every $10 the Hot Springs Pool brings in, only $4 goes back to the pool. "If it were being run more like a business than a city facility, all of the money the pool brought in would be sunk back into improving the facility."
Pool revenues themselves are in a projected pattern of decline. In '08, actual pool attendance and revenues were down 3-4% from projected levels, and Rondinelli, a stalwart realist, sees no reason to hope economic conditions will change in the next few years.
"We're going to face significant changes, and not just in '09. I lie awake at night thinking about it," he admitted.
Working with City Council members over the coming months, Rondinelli hopes to start exploring some long-term solutions to the parks deficit dilemma. "A rec district is an option worth exploring," he said. "Or, what if the city leased the pool to a private entity? The Parks Fund is complicated. It has its own nuances that make it an interesting thing to work on."
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
November 14, 2008
Written By:
Samantha Tisdel Wright
Everyone knows that the Ouray Hot Springs Pool is the biggest cash cow the city has going, generating revenue of almost a cool million, annually.
But that money, which is used to prop up the city's whole "parks" infrastructure (from the North Ouray Corridor to the Community Center to Box Cañon Park and everything in between) has been stretched too thin. The 2008 ending fund balance for the Parks Fund is projected to be $793,464 in the red.
That's a pretty big number. Big enough to have caught the attention of auditors who scrutinize the city's books. And the word has come down: "You'd better fix it."
The city's draft 2009 budget proposes to start doing this by taking the community center (an annual $70,652 expenditure) and the dredging of the North Ouray Corridor (for which $20,000 is budgeted every spring) out of the Parks Fund and parking them in the General Fund, instead. But the city still has a long hard slog to get its parks budget back in the black. Administrator Patrick Rondinelli said if the current pattern holds, the Parks Fund is projected to remain in a deficit until "at least 2023."
How did this come to be? Quite simply, the cash cow is being multi-tasked dry. Or in the words of Rondinelli, "operating expenses are outpacing revenues." Of a projected $950,000 in pool revenues in 2009, the pool itself will rack up $822,000 in operating expenses. That doesn't leave a whole lot of leftovers to spread around to the city's considerable parks infrastructure.
"Per capita, Ouray probably has more park lands per resident than any other town in Colorado, with the possible exception of Boulder," Rondinelli said. "And we're trying to acquire the Ice Park, which will add even more."
Many municipalities have a taxable "Parks and Rec" district to cover the upkeep of their community assets. But the City of Ouray's budget is set up in such a way that the "Parks Fund" gets its revenues exclusively from the pool and Box Cañon Park (a combined $1.3 million in the 2008 budget).
This fund, set up as an "enterprise fund," is separate from the city's "General Fund" which pays for the day-to-day operations of the municipality. All taxes and fees collected by the city flow directly into the General Fund. By law, no more that 10% of moneys in one kind of fund can flow into another.
Thus, the sales taxes and fees collected by the city cannot, under the current structure, go toward the maintenance of the city's park lands.
The Parks Fund currently encompasses the Hot Springs Pool and gym, Box Cañon Park, Rotary Park, Lee's Ski Hill, the North Ouray Corridor, and "general parks and services," including Community Center expenses, which will shift to the General Fund next year. None of these places are cheap to maintain – the city spends $20,000 annually at Rotary Park, alone – and only the pool and Box Canyon Park bring in direct revenues.
Making matters worse is a $550,000 legal settlement pertaining to a 2004 dispute in which the city was accused of disturbing the Wiesbaden's geothermal source, which drains the Parks Fund of $114,000 annually in debt service. The last payment will be made in 2010.
All of this is bad news for the cash cow itself. According to Rondinelli, out of every $10 the Hot Springs Pool brings in, only $4 goes back to the pool. "If it were being run more like a business than a city facility, all of the money the pool brought in would be sunk back into improving the facility."
Pool revenues themselves are in a projected pattern of decline. In '08, actual pool attendance and revenues were down 3-4% from projected levels, and Rondinelli, a stalwart realist, sees no reason to hope economic conditions will change in the next few years.
"We're going to face significant changes, and not just in '09. I lie awake at night thinking about it," he admitted.
Working with City Council members over the coming months, Rondinelli hopes to start exploring some long-term solutions to the parks deficit dilemma. "A rec district is an option worth exploring," he said. "Or, what if the city leased the pool to a private entity? The Parks Fund is complicated. It has its own nuances that make it an interesting thing to work on."
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