Blue River "Pumpback"

Blue River pumpback negotiations intensified recently, as local lodge owner Tom Gleason suggested that the Summit County commissioners are delaying approval for the project at the expense of residents and businesses who can't hook up to sewer facilities unless the project goes forward.

Several other locals also spoke in favor of the $10 million project at a public hearing, touting the potential benefits of the pumpback, which would carry Blue River water from Farmer's Korner back up to Breckenridge.

"I'm a little disturbed by the infighting between the boards," said Ron Shelton, referring to the ongoing negotiations between the BOCC and the Breckenridge Sanitation District.

"You're bickering and racking up the legal bills ... There's so much positive to (the pumpback)."

At issue is county approval for the sanitation district's plan to build a roadside pipeline from the Farmer's Korner water treatment plan and pump up to 17 cfs of water back upstream. The pumpback could boost flows during the winter, when parts of the river dry up completely, especially during snowmaking season.

Water from the project could also help the sanitation district meet strict water quality standards.

The county and the sanitation district agree that the project offers significant public benefits during the winter. But they have been unable to finalize an agreement that would govern summer operations, when upstream users could potentially divert the water.

The county wants to maintain its review authority for summer operations under its 1041 powers, established by state statute to regulate areas of state interest. The "unintended consequences" of the pumpback could include harm to downstream water users in the Lower Blue, for example.

A pending application by Colorado Springs (which diverts from the headwaters of the Blue River) shows there is a risk that other parties could take advantage of the increased flows from the pumpback, with potential impacts to downstream users, said Barney White, the county's water attorney.