HomeMy WebLinkAbout20120559.tiff Valli ST. VRAIN AND LEFT HAND WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT
9595 Nelson Road,Suite 203 • Longmont,CO 80501 • 303-772-4060 • www.svlhwcd.org
WELD COUNTY
Cr^-,', !SSI0F4ERS
February 16, 2012 2011 FEB 21 A 10: 08
Weld County Commissioners RECEIVED
P.O. Box 758
Greeley,CO 80632
Dear Commissioners,
Enclosed is the 2011 Annual Report of the St.Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District.
As in the past years,the 2011 report briefly describes some of the year's accomplishments,and includes
a "Peppier Focus" featured article on Ms. Alice Ochs, longtime area resident and Director of the Board of
Left Hand Water District.
If you have any questions or thoughts of ways the District can better serve our basins, I can be reached
by phone at 303-772-4060 or email sean.cronin@svlhwcd.orq
Sincerely,
Sean T. Cronin
Executive Director
2012-0559
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2011
SVLHWCD - ANNUAL REPORT
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St. Vrain and Left Hand Water
Conservancy District
Contents
Message from our Executive Director 3
Annual Accomplishments 4
Our Organization 5
The 2011 Water Year 6
The Mountains Always Called Alice Ochs Home 7
2010-2011 Financial Highlights 9
Front Cover
1971 aerial photograph of Main Street(left to right) and Florida Avenue (now Ken Pratt Blvd.)
intersection. Photo provided by the Longmont Museum
Back Cover
2010 aerial photograph of Main Street and Ken Pratt Blvd. intersection. Photo provided by Microsoft.
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St. Vrain & Left Hand Water Conservancy District
9595 Nelson Road, Suite 203
Longmont, CO 80501
303.772.4060
www.svlhwcd.org
2
Message from our Executive Director
Last year ended a significant transition for the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy
District. The District entered 2011 with an entirely new staff, launched a website, revamped its internal
policies, initiated a new monthly speaker's series, transitioned to a new financial system, and hosted a
water users meeting - to name just a few. This year's report provides a brief summary of these
accomplishments in addition to this year's "Peppier Focus" an interview with Left Hand Water District
Board member, Ms.Alice Ochs.
Although 2011 represents the official 40th anniversary for the District most of the acknowledgment will
happen throughout next year as part of a larger statewide celebration called Colorado Water 2012. The
year 2012 is a milestone for water in our state and in particular the 75`h anniversary of the creation of
the Conservancy Act,the legislative action allowing for the formation of Conservancy Districts such as St.
Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District. Throughout 2012 there will be countless events all
over the state, including Governor Hickenlooper declaring 2012 as the "Year of Water". As this time
marks a critical anniversary for the District I thought it appropriate to share with you what Executive
Director Mr.James Cinea wrote in 1973 as part of the Districts very first annual report.
The St. Vrain and Left hand Water Conservancy District is concerned with the
preservation of the quality of life for the inhabitants of the St. Vrain & Left Hand Valley.
In order to insure that this quality of life improves and the St. Vrain & Left Hand Valley
remains an appealing place to live, the water resources must be developed and
managed through the combined efforts of all agricultural, municipal and industrial water
users to provide the optimum beneficial uses available.
It is toward this main objective that the Conservancy District must progress. The
formation of the District itself is proof that the cooperation is available. Through the
direction of the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District these goals can be
achieved.
This report represents the Districts 38th since then and its incredible to think of the foresight and vision
necessary to recognize that quality of life and local economies are intimately linked to the health and
proper management of water resources. The District continues to foster continued cooperation and
improved water management still today and it's humbling to think that 75 years ago the state legislature
recognized that its local communities, through Conservancy Districts, that are best suited to manage and
implement the changes necessary to protect and preserve local water resources.
With this past year's transition complete, the District stands poised to enter 2012 with a renewed
enthusiasm and focus to continue its mission and responsibly manage, protect and preserve the basins
precious water resources.
Sean T. Cronin
Executive Director
3
FOSTERING PRINCIPALS TO MAXIMIZE WATER
Annual Accomplishments MANAGEMENT: The District partnered with a
Turning 40 proved to be a bit like a midlife statewide weather organization and purchased
crisis for the District as it ventured into new 12 rain gauges that were distributed to all the
areas of serving its constituents while staying schools within the District boundaries to
true to its original purpose to provide and educate students on the relationship between
promote for the beneficial use of water within weather and water management. The District
the district boundaries. Board of Directors also initiated a collaborative
committee to investigate maximizing labor and
This past year the District was successful in water management efficiencies amongst local
moving forward projects, ideas, and plans irrigators. In March the District hosted a water
consistent with the Districts purpose. quality data information sharing meeting.
Many agencies that collect and analyze water
PROVIDE AND PROMOTE FOR THE BENEFICIAL quality data were given an opportunity to share
USE OF WATER: In late 2010 the District their monitoring plans and identify potential
contributed an additional $5,000 ($10,000 total
gaps that together maximized limited
over two years) toward telemetry that
resources.
transmits real-time stream flow and diversion
information from St. Vrain Creek to the web. PROMOTING WATER CONSERVATION: The
This information is available to anyone and is District continued its support of the Longmont
used regularly by the District 5 River Children's Water Festival. Furthermore, the
Commissioner. Data can be found on the District participated in the South Platte
District's website; Roundtable which made recommendations on
water matters, including conservation, to the
www.svIhwcd.org/RelatedInformation
Colorado Water Conservation Board.
PROMOTING NEW STORAGE: The District INTEGRATE LEGALLY AVAILABLE BENEFICIAL
received a final decree from the Court that USES OF GROUNDWATER: An additional 3
allowed for continued use of conditional members joined the District's Augmentation
Coffintop Reservoir water rights through August
Program. In 2011 the District augmented 195
2017. The District will use this time to have acre-feet of water to the St. Vrain and 23 acre-
focus group meetings so the Board of Directors feet to Left Hand Creek. For more information
can receive input from all basin constituents on on the Augmentation Program see "Got
the viability of future storage in the St. Vrain
Water?" on the following page.
and Left Hand basin(s).
PROTECTING AND MAINTAINING EXISTING
WATER RIGHTS: In 2011 the District Board of
Directors entered five statements of opposition
with the purpose of protecting and maintaining
existing water rights.
4
t-4-
Our Organization 40 year old agreements, but does offer
The St. Vrain & Left Hand Water membership to a more modern augmentation
Conservancy District Board of Directors are Program. Membership in the Augmentation
Program is available to all water users seeking
appointed by District court judges and serve
four year terms. The Board sets policy for staff to irrigate out of priority and require
to implement. The Board is comprised of nine
augmentation water. The water provided by
members from seven distinct geographic areas the District is decreed for such uses and made
(districts) from within the entire District
available to users for a nominal fee. Persons
boundaries that generally start at Rocky interested in becoming a member can obtain
Mountain National Park (west), to east of I-25 additional information online or by calling the
(east), to Larimer County and Boulder County District office.
line (north), and to just south of the Town of
Ward, and north of Boulder Reservoir (south).
The Directors must live and own real property Throughout 2011 the District implemented
within the district they represent. Two new technologies to better serve constituents.
Directors are at-large and can represent any of The District continued to modify its website and
the seven geographic areas from which they live added new content that has lead to a 5%
and own real property. increase in visitors per month. Another
significant addition was a computer system. In
2011 Officers and Directors: today's age this may seem fairly
g insignificant so
President: Dennis Yanchunas - District 7 it is interesting to note that in 1986 the District
Vice President: Glenn Patterson - District 6 used to share computer time with a local
Secretary: John Zweck- District 3 engineering firm that brought $1,040 of
Treasurer: Harold Nelson - District 1 revenue to the District. As a point of
Director: Robert Brand - District 2 comparison, around this same time the world's
Director: Bill Haselbush - District 4 first gigabyte-capacity disk drive was
Director: Ronald Sutherland - District 5 introduced, the IBM 3380, which was the size of
Director: Doug Lyle -At Large a refrigerator, weighed 550 pounds, and had a
Director: Michael Rademacher-At Large price tag of $40,000. In 2011 the District
purchased an entire computer that is the size of
a toaster oven, weighs 21 pounds, and includes
a 1 terabyte disk drive (or 1,024 IBM 3380s), all
Got Water? In addition to providing for$550.
services under its original purpose, the District
operates an Augmentation Program for use by
basin water users. Beginning in 1974, the
District was one of the first water agencies in
Colorado to enter into augmentation
agreements to ensure for the protection of
senior water rights. The District no longer
offers augmentation water under these nearly
5
The 2011 Water Year The St. Vrain at Lyons finally peaked at 1,130 cfs
"With a little luck, the current storm track on July 9 somewhat later than the historic
will remain in place for a few months and the average peak of June 12 and nearly double the
state can experience an exceptional runoff average peak volume.
year". A statement made by the NRCS in
December 2010, and if not for a slow runoff Basin storage heading into July was 91% full, so
would have been the understatement of the the 43,000 acre-feet recorded at Lyons through
the month of July kept free river on for over a
year.
month until July 24.
The St. Vrain snowpack was 184% of average in
December making for the third largest The 2011 runoff was fortunately just
snowpack in the last 23 years. January storms "exceptional" and not catastrophic. Overall
were not as impressive as the previous month 2010 was another excellent water year.
but the snowpack held and the streamflow
forecasts were still reporting a 90% chance of Heading into the 2012 water year, storage sits
exceeding 90,000 acre-feet at Lyons. Over the at a healthy 81% and the January 1 snowpack
next few months snowpack held resulting in for the St. Vrain is 91% of average. "With a little
very little change to the streamflow forecast. luck" the snowpack will continue to improve
and the river will receive another plentiful
April brought impressive storms to Northern runoff.
Colorado and set snowpack records across the
South Platte tributaries. However, the St. Vrain
didn't set any records and was on the low end
of the tributaries with a more than respectable
118%of average.
Early May brought some slightly warmer
weather and the beginning of runoff, but
another round of storms in mid-May combined
with relatively cooler temperatures halted the
runoff and the snow held up high for an
extended period when finally the runoff trickled
out through June and into July. This slow
runoff was a dramatic shift from the projections
of record flooding. With the high likely hood of
flooding the District initiated local radio public
service announcements and added content on
its website to increase awareness on the
dangers of flooding.
6
The Mountains Always Called Alice became familiar with the farming and irrigation
Ochs Home community at an early age. "Some of my water
connections drove my bus," she says, and notes
By Emily Palm
that she rode horseback with the daughter of
The Peppier Focus the longtime ditch rider and LHWD board
(Vern Peppier—President 1978-2010) member Frank Gould.
Since moving to the foothills west of Boulder, After attending high school in Longmont, Alice
Colo., 70 years ago on Pearl Harbor Day, Left lived in Gunnison, Colo., for two years to study
Hand Canyon has always beckoned Alice Ochs secretarial science at Western State College. In
home. those days the career prospects for young
women mainly consisted of becoming a
After a stint in Peru, and travels across the secretary or an educator, Alice says, and adds,
world, Alice and her husband now spend part of "Teaching was never my gig."
the year at their ranch in Left Hand Canyon and
at their home 20 minutes north of Boulder, Upon graduating from college Alice returned to
Colo. Alice serves as Treasurer and Secretary on the Boulder area where she met the man she
the board of the Left Hand Water District would marry while working as a secretary at the
(LHWD). National Bureau of Standards (NBS). Her
background in the northwest ranchlands proved
The region northwest of Boulder resonates and handy. "I knew the farmers' dogs," she says.
feels more productive to Alice than the dry Alice could get the NBS researchers from their
lands out east. "Up in the foothills we were very car to landowners safely when they wanted to
much a part of the watershed," she says, and discuss buying dry-land pastures for research.
adds that since a young age she has been
keenly aware of the necessity of water. Alice's husband worked in the field of lasers and
wind measurement, which took them to Peru in
Alice's great grandparents homesteaded on the the 1960's. They lived along the shores of the
eastern plains of Colorado, but when her Rimac River for a few years where Alice saw
parents moved to more verdant pastures they elaborate terraces built by the Inca, similar to
knew they found their habitat. Alice's roots in those found at Machu Picchu. Much of the early
the mountains run deep; born in Denver, she infrastructure was still in use, she says, noting
and her family moved west when she was a that it led her to think about the age-old need
toddler. for gettin
g g water to people and to consider
In elementary school Alice rode a horse to the
people further down the line.
bus stop. For a long time she was the only They returned stateside in the early 1970's to
grade-school kid in her ranching community, the city limits of Boulder, Colo., but soon after
though more children moved into the area the countryside called and they moved north
when Jeeps came along after World War II. into the outskirts of the county. Alice became a
With her parents involved in the local Grange member of the Left Hand Ditch Company. "I've
and her father driving a school bus and spent some time at the end of a shovel," she
irrigating rental farms in Boulder County, Alice
7
says of time working on her ranch's ditch Alice's LHWD term limit is coming up in the next
irrigation. year, and Alice understands. "It's a balance
between new enthusiasm and experience," she
Alice raised their two children, a daughter(born says, adding that she has been proud to be part
in Peru) and a son. Together the family would
of such a good organization.
accompany Alice's husband on business trips
across the world. Her children caught the travel In addition to working on the LHWD board,
bug; her daughter lived in Australia and her son Alice became the first woman to sit on the
lived in Taiwan for a bit. Photos from their Poudre Valley Rural Electric Administration
travels line the walls of their front entryway. (PVREA) board in late 1984. During her 20 years
Each picture is labeled with the location and the on that Board, she served as president.
year.
Alice had no trouble in her role as the first
Alice later became the first and only woman on woman on the LHWD and the PVREA boards.
the Left Hand Water District Board after "It's been a real pleasure. Farmers are very used
longtime board member Frank Gould passed to treating women as equals," she says, and
away in December 1999. She was appointed to notes that since work is shared on the ranches
complete his term, which ended in 2002. She it was no surprise for longtime members to
was later elected secretary-treasurer, a position work together on the rural boards.
she still holds. "I give them a lot of fits over the
budget," she says of her work. After 70 years of avid horsemanship, Alice now
lets her daughter feed the hay to the horses.
Alice joined the board with a unique historical Though they don't raise cows anymore because
breadth and perspective. In 1996, Alice wrote of drought (the spring at their ranch dried up
about the history of the Left Hand Ditch last year), she still heads up to the ranch to go
Company. She worked closely with Frank, who on horseback rides and enjoy the mountains.
wanted to document the history of the
company. Though many years had passed since
the events that he shared with Alice had
occurred, he got the details correct, she says.
After checking records and verifying Frank's
accounts, Alice wrote "Water: Basis for Success,
Left Hand Ditch Company History."
In the formative years of the company, conflict
was not unusual. "Water is life and death when
you're growing sugar beets or hay," Alice says,
and adds that the Left Hand and Saint Vrain
water districts have made big cooperative
efforts in working together. There still is one
kink they're working out. "None of us have
figured out a good way to control the weather,"
Alice quips.
8
eaaasurm
2010 — 2011 Financial Highlights
The Board of Directors approved the 2012 Budget at their December 12 meeting. The balanced
budget will allow the District to continue to meet its mission of providing and promoting for the
beneficial use of water within the district boundaries. The 2012 budget includes these important
features.
• One General Government (General) and one Proprietary(Enterprise)fund.
• A 1.24%decrease from the previous year in Ad Valorem Revenue to the General Fund.
• A 15% reduction to specific General Fund line items to be paid by the Enterprise Fund
for expenses related to the Districts Augmentation Program.
• A 21% increase in Health Insurance expenses due to a projected premium increase and
an employee change in coverage.
• In accordance with Resolution 2011-11 transferred equity from the Water Rights and
Land Acquisition Fund to the General Fund at the end of 2011, and eliminated the Water
Rights and Land Acquisition Fund and budget in 2012.
The following pages include short summaries of 2012 revenue and expenditures. To view the complete
2012 budget please visit our Web site at www.svlhwcd.org.
9
GENERAL FUND
To account for ongoing expenses associated with delivery of programs and services
2010 2011 2011 Estimate 2012
Actual Budget As of 10/31 Year End Budget
Fund Balance & Reserves
Beginning Unrestricted Fund Balance $ 328 $ 8,683 $ 75,148 $ 83,228
Beginning Water Rights Balance MEM $ 111,032
TABOR Restricted Emergency Reserve $ 12,046 $ 11,403 S 10,286 $ 10,286
Total Fund Balance & Reserves $ 12,374 $ 20,086 $ 85,434 $ 204,546
Revenue Sources
Ad Valorem $ 322,791 $ 312,174 $ 307,563 $ 309,050 $ 308,365
Specific Ownership Tax $ 16,191 $ 15,000 $ 12,628 $ 14,472 $ 10,000
Interest $ 951 $ 750 $ 642 $ 768 $ 400
District 6 $ 2,939
Miscellaneous $ - $ - $ 115 $ 115 $ -
Loan from Enterprise Fund $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Loan from Water Rights Fund $ - $ 50,000 $ - $ -
Equity Transfer from Water Rights Fund _ $ 111,032
Total Revenue $ 342,872 $ 377,924 $ 320,948 $ 435,437 $ 318,765
Expenditures by Category
Salaries & Benefits $ 152,533 $ 151,279 $ 137,867 $ 165,108 $ 133,763
Administration $ 30,698 $ 38,400 $ 27,146 $ 35,573 $ 32,845
Outside Services $ 57,044 $ 38,500 $ 21,830 $ 25,197 $ 41,040
Operational $ 24,677 $ 27,749 $ 23,189 $ 27,099 $ 25,712
Water Rights $ 15,930
Miscellaneous $ 4,859 $ 7,900 $ 4,626 $ 7,451 $ 7,900
Total Expenditures $ 269,812 $ 263,828 $ 214,657 $ 260,427 $ 257,190
Transfers, Loans & Reserves by Category
Transfer to Enterprise Fund $ - $ 14,674 $ - $ 4,313 $ 10,078
Transfer to Water Rights Fund $ - $ 51,586 $ 51,586 $ 51,586
Loan Payoff to Enterprise Fund $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Loan Payoff to Water Rights Fund $ - $ 50,000 $ - $ - u
Designate to WR Balance $ 50,000
Total Transfers, Loans & Reserves $ - $ 116,260 $ 51,586 $ 55,899 $ 60,078
Ending Unrestricted Fund Balance $ 75,148 $ 6,519 $ 83,228 $ 100,655
Ending Water Rights BalanceMIIIIIIIMIllr s 111,032 ' $ 145,102
Ending Restricted Emergency Reserve $ 10,286 $ 11,403 $ 10.286 $ 10,286
Total Fund Balance & Reserves $ 85,434 $ 17,922 $ 204,546 $ 256,043
2012 Revenue 2012 Expenditures
Specific Interest
Ownership Tax ---_ _ / 0%
3%
Transfer to Salaries &
Enterprise Benents
Fund Designate to 42°4.:
WR
3%�
16%
Miscellaneous
3%
Water Rights
5%
Operational _
8%
.1
Outside
Services
Ad Valorem 13% ---- Administration
97% 10%
10
ENTERPRISE FUND j
To account for ongoing expenses associated with the water enterprise
2010 2011 2011 Estimate 2012
Actual Budget As of 10/31 Year End Budget
Fund Balance
Beginning Fund Balance $ 203,716 $ 281,734 $ 237,977 $ 249,245
Total Fund Balance $ 203,716 $ 281,734 $ 237,977 $ 249,245
Revenue Sources
Transfer from General Fund $ - S 14,674 $ - $ 4.313 $ 10,078
Loan Payment from General Fund $ - 5 - $ - $ - $ -
Transfer from WRs Fund $ - $ - $ - $ - i, —__
Federal EPA 319 Grant $ 882 5 15,092 $ - $ - $ 15,092
Lake No. 4 $ - $ 720 $ 1,149 $ 1,149 $ 720
Misc Water Rental $ - $ 6,600 $ 5,670 $ 5,600 $ 6,500
Longmont Water Rental $ 20,119 $ 105,000 $ 75,881 $ 75,881 $ 7,500
Special Projects $ 720 $ - $ 468 $ 468 $ -
Augmentation Membership Fees $ 20,200 $ 18,500 $ 17,496 $ 17,496 $ 20,643
Interest $ 1,204 $ 825 S 154 $ 185 $ 200
Total Revenue $ 43,125 $ 161,411 $ 100,818 $ 105,091 $ 60,733
Expenditures by Category
Administration S 144 $ 144 $ 36 $ 36 $ 28,110
Outside Services $ 563 $ 5,500 $ 14,769 $ 17,723 $ 25,125
Operational $ 8,157 S 116,060 S 76,064 $ 76,064 $ 21,211
Interfund Transfer & Loans $ - 5 - S - $ - S -
Total Expenditures $ 8,864 $ 121,704 $ 90,869 $ 93,823 $ 74,446
Ending Unrestricted Fund Balance $ 237,977 $ 321,441 $ 9,948 $ 249,245 $ 235,532
2012 Revenue
2012 Expenditures
nterest , Transfer from
- General Fund
17%
1
Augmentation
Membership
Fees
34%
Federal EPA
319 Grant
25%
1'' ', Outside
Services
Special 349x,
Projects Lake No. 4
0% 1%
Longmont Misc Water
Water Rental Rental
12% 11%
11
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1971 B&W aerial photograph of Main Street (left to right) and Florida Avenue (now Ken Pratt Blvd.)
intersection next to a color aerial photograph of the same intersection nearly 40 years later. Note the
white building in the lower left corner of each photograph .
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