Barker Reservoir Management Plan
Barker Reservoir 1938
The Middle Boulder Creek Water Source Management Work Plan was completed in July 2002. The purpose of the work plan was to compile existing information pertaining to the Barker system and the Middle Boulder Creek watershed, evaluate the information and make recommendations. Based on the information collected in the planning process, the work plan recommends management decisions for the immediate future. The work plan is inherently dynamic and flexible, and will evolve as more is learned about the Middle Boulder Creek watershed.
The Middle Boulder Creek Water Source Management Work Plan is available at the following locations:
Middle Boulder Creek Water Source
Management Work Plan
Executive Summary
Background
On March 7, 2001, the City of Boulder purchased Barker Dam, Barker Meadow Reservoir, the Barker Gravity Pipeline, Kossler Reservoir, the pipeline from Kossler Reservoir to Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Plant, and the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Plant from Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado) for $12.4 million. Combined, the purchased facilities and the accompanying land constitute the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project (Barker system). Boulder purchased the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project using a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Windy Gap Project units. All remaining funds from the Windy Gap sale will be used to repair and upgrade the Barker system. The main purpose for the purchase of these facilities was to enhance Boulder’s municipal water supply and to allow the city to make necessary repairs to the Barker system.
Boulder’s Management Priorities
The primary purpose of Barker Meadow Reservoir is to store Boulder’s municipal water for delivery to Boulder’s Betasso Water Treatment Plant. Boulder’s municipal water supply goals are to provide an adequate, reliable, high quality water supply for Boulder’s present and projected build-out population, even during times of drought. Because of the unpredictable variability of water supply, Boulder needs to remain flexible and innovative in the management of its water supplies and should continue to emphasize conservation and protection of its water resources.
Boulder’s water quality goals include protection of the quality of waters at their source as a part of a multiple barrier approach to drinking water quality protection. Boulder seeks to maximize source water protection by encouraging cooperation among the landowners and land users in the watersheds supplying the city’s water. Management of watersheds, reservoirs, and water delivery facilities can compliment water treatment to provide a buffer that helps prevent harmful substances from passing through the treatment process into finished drinking water.
Boulder’s Secondary Goals
Secondary goals associated with the Barker system include hydropower generation, recreation, instream flows, and environmental enhancement. Hydropower generation is an effective way to conserve fossil fuels and can be accomplished as a byproduct to delivering water to the Betasso Water Treatment Plant. Boulder also seeks to provide for reasonable and safe recreational activities that are compatible with and do not compromise the primary goal of providing reliable, high quality drinking water for the City of Boulder. The current FERC license for Boulder Canyon Hydro Project provides for shoreline fishing, picnicking and other leisure opportunities at Barker Reservoir that do not involve body contact with stored drinking water supply.
Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project - Preapplication Document - Nov. 10, 2007
Another important goal is the innovative management of the city-owned water supplies to enhance and protect the natural environment in the Middle Boulder Creek watershed. As part of this enhancement, the city is committed to maintaining instream flows in Middle Boulder Creek below Barker Dam and is working cooperatively with the Colorado Water Conservation Board to meet this goal. The instream flow program will be an extension of the successful instream flow program that the city has jointly implemented with the Colorado Water Conservation Board on North Boulder Creek and Main Boulder Creek.
Purpose of the Work Plan
To help the city accomplish its primary and secondary goals for the Barker system and the city’s overall water supply system, the Water Resources group of the city’s Public Works/Utilities Division developed the Middle Boulder Creek Water Source Management Work Plan (work plan). The purpose of the work plan was to compile existing information pertaining to the Barker system and the Middle Boulder Creek watershed, evaluate the information and make recommendations. The scope for the work plan did not include conducting new studies or creating new data. An important part of the information gathering process was to facilitate stakeholder involvement and present ways for the public to submit comments and concerns regarding the Middle Boulder Creek watershed. When gaps in information were identified, the management planning team recommended possible studies or sources of information to fill the existing gaps. Based on the information collected in the planning process, the work plan recommends management decisions and work efforts for the immediate future. The work plan is inherently dynamic and flexible, and will evolve as more is learned about the Middle Boulder Creek watershed.
Work Plan Team
The City of Boulder assembled a team of experts consisting of eight consulting firms or agents to assist in the development of the work plan. The work plan was developed through the city’s Utilities Division under the project management of Carol Ellinghouse, Water Resources Coordinator. Critical project support was provided by Joanna Stansbury, Water Resources Specialist; Jane Nelson, Public Works Communication Coordinator; June Busse, Utilities Project Manager specializing in raw water systems and of hydropower; Amy Struthers, Water Quality Supervisor, and other key city employees. GEI Consultants, Inc. (GEI) was the lead consultant. GEI and Water Resources staff shared complimentary roles in managing the project, implementing the public process, and producing the work plan.
The Project Team consisted of GEI, city staff and seven subconsultants specializing as follows (in alphabetical order):
- Bill Lewis: limnology
- Brown & Caldwell: water quality and GIS
- ERO Resources Co.: habitat, environmental issues, and GIS
- GBSM: public process
- Hydrosphere: hydrologic records and water rights
- Kris Kranzush: historic and cultural issues, safety and security, and Community Liaison
- Steve Walker: recreation
Scope of Work
The initial stages of the work plan Project involved development of project goals, objectives, and a scope of work. Project Team consultants were involved in the development process from its beginning stages. The scope of work guiding the work plan development process encompassed the following tasks. A more detailed scope of work is included in Appendix D.
- Facilitate a Project Team scoping meeting and develop a scope of work and project budget.<
- Prepare a Middle Boulder Creek (MBC) watershed Reference Index and Library.
- Prepare a limnological model of Barker Meadow Reservoir.
- Prepare a Betasso Water Treatment Plant Notification Plan for the MBC watershed.
- Prepare and implement an External Communication Plan, including a public involvement program.
- Prepare and implement an Internal Communication Plan, including a participant-accessible Web site.
- Compile existing information on MBC watershed hydrology and water rights.
- Evaluate MBC recreational opportunities and their impacts on water quality, water quantity, and safety.
- Evaluate historical and cultural resources associated with the Barker system.
- Evaluate available MBC watershed water quality information, including point-source and non-point-source pollutants and their pathways.
- Evaluate hydropower facility operations and their impacts on water quality and quantities to develop short-term and long-term decision support tools and to produce a hydropower operations summary.
- Evaluate reservoir drawdown requirements and the effects of maintaining a minimum reservoir pool elevation as a basis for future studies related to Barker Reservoir fishery habitat.
- Review County, State, and Federal Regulations that pertain to the Barker system.
- Coordinate with emergency response agencies to determine criteria for development of a Water Source Emergency Response Plan.
- Evaluate watershed and ecological concerns to facilitate the development of Habitat Preservation and Maintenance Plans.
- Integrate existing GIS maps of the watershed.
- Facilitate and attend Project Team progress meetings.
- Preparation and/or support of City staff in preparation of project progress reports, including four City Council reports.
- Development and production of a final Middle Boulder Creek Water Source Management work plan.
Public Process
The objective of the public process was to involve all interested stakeholders and collect comments that could be used to shape the development of the work plan and help guide future management decisions. The public process played an important role in identifying issues and addressing concerns of the community regarding the change in ownership of the Barker system. The city provided multiple avenues for public input. Regardless of the avenue by which comments were received, all comments were considered equally and recorded into a database. Comments were not received as if they were votes, but rather as a means to gage general public sentiment on certain issues, and to identify issues that the planning team may have overlooked. Comments will be received on the work plan up until its presentation to City Council in the summer of 2002. The Planning Team intends that this plan should be inherently dynamic and should remain flexible.
The Work Plan Report
The bulk of the work plan relays existing information regarding the environment, system facilities, existing regulations, water quantity and quality, recreation, historical and cultural resources, safety, and operational issues. Some, but not all, of these sections address issues in the context of four conceptualized subbasins: the Barker Reservoir watershed, Kossler Reservoir, the Middle Boulder Creek corridor below Barker Dam, and Main Boulder Creek below the confluence of Middle and North Boulder Creeks.
Summary of Recommendations
The following list provides a summary of the Work Plan recommendations. Additional recommendations and greater detail are provided in Section 19. The recommendations are not listed in order of priority. Factors that should be considered when developing a schedule for implementing the recommendations include required interaction with other agencies, available budgets, and water supply priorities.
Operations
- Maximize use of direct flow water rights and direct use exchange rights.
- Develop a system based operations plan based on water quality, system reliability, cost, risk, and secondary project objectives like instream flow and recreation.
- Develop a multi-system based operations plan for drought management.
- Legally protect instream flows through agreements with the CWCB.
- Optimize hydropower generation as a secondary objective after optimizing the system for water supply and accommodating competing commitments like instream flow releases.
Operational Decision Support Tools
- Develop short-term and long-term decision support models.
- Develop and test a Betasso Water Treatment Plant Notification Plan.
- Explore the uses, benefits, reliability, and costs of remote sensing capabilities.
Water Quality
- Identify and monitor important contaminants.
- Establish baseline water quality measures.
- Model and track important relationships, including land use and water quality.
- Increase public awareness and water contamination prevention.
- Complete a joint study with the Town of Nederland for mitigating the impacts of the Nederland Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- Use GIS to improve modeling and tracking efforts.
- Conduct a series of targeted studies and investigations
Recreation.
- Prepare a recreation management plan for existing recreation uses at Barker Reservoir. Additionally, prepare a Barker Reservoir Boating Feasibility Study, an Ice Climbing Plan, and Recreational Fishing and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Plans for Barker Reservoir, Middle Boulder Creek, and Main Boulder Creek.
- Work with the town of Nederland on plans for development at the west end of Barker Reservoir.
- Evaluate means to minimize use of undesired recreational access at project facilities.
- Maintain documentation of recreation decision-making, including public involvement, to facilitate the FERC relicensing process.
- Proceed cautiously, conducting all appropriate studies and hearings, before opening up any part of the Barker System to new secondary uses.
Environment and Land Management.
- Protect healthy ecosystems.
- Restore degraded ecosystems as reasonable.
- Provide minimum instream flows in Middle Boulder Creek below Barker Dam in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
- Establish a coordinated land management effort between Utilities, Open Space Mountain Parks , Boulder County and the US Forest Service in the Tram Hill / Lost Gulch area.
- Establish a coordination group comprised of Utilities staff, Open Space Mountain Parks staff and others as necessary to develop joint land management policies and best management practices (BMPs) for integrating land management activities.
History and Culture
- Explore appropriate historical and cultural designations and listing for the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project.
Safety and Security
- Support fire protection districts and wildland fire management efforts.
- Track security advisories and follow the recommendations of law enforcement agencies regarding heightened security during the current national action against terrorism.
- Continue emergency response planning.
- Improve security measures through training, adding personnel, and constructing security barriers.
Community Education and Facilities Enhancement
- Implement steps to educate the public regarding the importance of source water quality protection, the effects of animal excrement deposits near water sources, Barker Reservoir and Middle Boulder Creek recreational opportunities and restrictions, private property boundaries, watershed activity impacts, and the role of the public in thwarting vandals and terrorists.
- Improve the aesthetics and usefulness of Barker Reservoir's public facilities.
- Install and maintain bag dispensers for pet excrement.
- Ensure sufficient restroom facilities and trash receptacles at designated recreation sites.
Project Schedule.
The preliminary draft Work Plan was presented to the Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) on March 18, 2002 and then was made available to the public. During the next three months, the management planning team continued its public process and acceptance of comments from interested stakeholders. Comments were also received from the WRAB. After the comment period, the planning team finalized the draft. On May 13, 2002 , final draft recommendations from the Work Plan were approved by WRAB for presentation to City Council with a recommendation for adoption. The final draft was submitted to the Boulder City Council on July 23, 2002.
If you wish to download the executive summary as an Acrobat PDF file:
Executive Summary
Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2007 03:37
Utilities