The Snake River Water District strives to be transparent and ensure everything we do is open to all interested parties. To that end, we offer this history of the new water tank construction on the north side of the valley and why SRWD is constructing the tank.
We received an email from a concerned constituent in Loveland Pass Village last week about the road construction on Forest Service property. We understand the concern about environmental impacts, and our goal is to make as little long-term impact as possible. The primary need that is driving the construction of a new storage tank is a deficiency in fire flow to protect the residences (and residents) in our community.
To clarify, the SRWD is not part of the Town of Keystone nor under the control of the town. We are a special district that is an independent quasi-governmental entity that only provides drinking water. We cooperate with other government agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Summit County government, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
Progress in the water industry is slow, but steady. The new water storage project is the result of studies that began 15 years ago. SRWD currently has four water tanks, but there is only one in the pressure zone containing River Run, Mountain House, and Loveland Pass Village (the middle area of Keystone). It is located on the other side of the valley on the ski area (under Schoolmarm). Independent engineers have studied all possible sites for an additional storage tank. As part of a Ten-Year Master Plan completed and released in 2021 for the SRWD, the engineering firm produced a sophisticated hydraulic model that was created in a software system for this purpose which calculates conditions of the water system. The software simulates our distribution system performance such as the water pressures in normal operation, as well as in an emergency situation. The engineers strongly recommended that a new tank be constructed on that side of the valley.
The access road will remain closed to any traffic except that occasional visit by our team for inspection. We have addressed concerns about the sensitive wetlands by incorporating specific engineering design into the road plans. Organizations like the Forest Service studied the impact of the project. Colorado Parks and Wildlife studied the area for environmental protection, including elk migration. We hired an independent firm to study the area and ensure that the project will be in complete compliance with all rules and regulations. All of our existing water tanks are on Forest Service special permits, and this new tank has been following a very detailed process with the Forest Service for years. No one has cut any corners on this project. Our perspective is that we have moved slowly and meticulously through a series of evaluations and assessments by numerous parties to make sure that everything was done correctly and everyone was best served by the outcome.
The SRWD distribution system currently has enough water in storage to serve the typical needs of homeowners, businesses, and the ski resort. However, the problem is dealing with a fire event. The recent California fires made national news because the fire hydrants went dry. They had inadequate water storage to keep the hydrants flowing. That’s the situation SRWD must avoid. That is the driving force behind the decision. We considered many options for many years to find the best balance between the biological science of the environment and the physical science of the fire flow for protection.