Genesee Reservoir No. 1

History

Following the drought of 2002 that resulted in very limited water available in Bear Creek (wastewater discharge from Evergreen & Kittredge) for Genesee to treat for potable water and firefighting, the District went to work to plan and finance our Genesee Reservoir No.2, located just South of Genesee, off Highway 74 between Idledale and Kittredge. This reservoir, completed and filled in 2007, was originally planned to store 125 are-feet of raw water but was limited to 101 acre-feet due to cost. 

Reservoir No.1

The existing Genesee Water & Sanitation District’s Storage and Augmentation Reservoir No.1, located next to the District’s wastewater treatment facility and administration building on Bitterroot Lane, was originally the wastewater treatment lagoon for the early Genesee community. Following major wastewater treatment facility upgrades in 1987 and 1997 the lagoon was upgraded to allow it to be added to the District’s growing portfolio of water rights and infrastructure. Following the completion of Reservoir No.2 mentioned above, the District continued the critically important task of protecting and improving its water rights and storage capabilities.

Fast Forward

  • 2019-2020 Additional Raw Water Storage Feasibility Analysis completed by W. W. Wheeler & Associates with financial assistance from a $37,387.00 Feasibility Study Grant
  • January-July 2020 Feasibility Study workshops with Genesee Board of Directors
  • July 2021 Genesee Reservoir No.1 site chosen as the best option for increased storage, with a preliminary design increasing the storage capacity from 16 acre-feet to 46 acre-feet for an estimated cost of $4.2 million
  • November 2021 District applied for a Colorado Water Plan Grant
  • CWCB approves $4.2 million 40-year 2.5% interest loan for the Reservoir No.1 Expansion Project
  • CWCB approves $1.384 million grant for the Reservoir No.1 Expansion Project
  • May 2022 Reservoir expansion project construction bid opening (low bid exceeded funding)
  • September 2022 CWCB approves loan increase of up to $5.555 million (same rate/terms)

Reasons For the Reservoir No.1 Expansion Project

  • Helps protect Genesee’s conditional water storage rights
  • Increases reservoir capacity for storage and/or augmentation by thirty acre-feet and increases total raw water storage capacity available for water treatment by forty-six acre-feet
  • Creates a separate and secondary 15-million-gallon raw water source available for the advanced water treatment facility, adding approximately 60 days of average Genesee water demand to protect against loss of the current sole raw water source due to any number of infrastructure or equipment failures, fire, loss of the southern Xcel Energy electrical feed, source contamination, etc., that would leave Genesee dry in just two to three days
  • Increases drought resistance, providing an additional 60 days of average Genesee water demand
  • Adds reuse capability to Genesee W&SD infrastructure