.jpg;w=960)
Residents are already enduring noise and lights from heavy construction activity as Denver Water expands the dam it owns and operates at Gross Reservoir in southwest Boulder County, county commissioners were told Monday night.
At nearby Lakeshore Drive, the work has already become “quite disruptive,” Resident Eric Marcum told the commissioners.
“Two miles is nothing for noise to travel,” Robert Kaila added, telling the commissioners that Denver Water crews work until 4 a.m. every day.
They and others near the dam construction told commissioners how the county should spend $5 million to help residents mitigate impacts of the Gross Reservoir expansion. The funds come from a November 2021 settlement of a federal lawsuit between Boulder County and Denver Water over the expansion.
The total settlement amount of $12.5 million will also include $5.1 million to Boulder County Open Space to buy new land or repair trails; $1.5 million to mitigage greenhouse gas emissions caused during construction and $1 million to restore South Saint Vrain Creek. Denver Water will also transfer 70 acres of land near the reservoir to the county to add to Walker Ranch Open Space.
Pinyon Environmental Inc., is being paid over $55,000 to study the environmental impacts of the dam construction on residents. Pinyon is being paid out of a separate county fund, commissioners said.
Commissioner Matt Jones said Monday that the $5 million set aside for residents may seem like a lot of money, but will not lessen the full impacts of the dam expansion.
The project is already drawing lights, noise and truck traffic and money, Jones said. “This money is not going to be enough for everything,” he said.
He and the commissioners also blasted the whole expansion project as obsolete and will do little to help ease drought conditions on the Front Range.
“I want to acknowledge that people are still very frustrated and disappointed that this project is proceeding,” Commissioner Claire Levy said. “It’s a bad idea to take water from the Western Slope … for more development. “This project makes no sense.”
Marcum asked that some of the $5 million be used to distribute air conditioners for mountain homes, since residents can no longer open their windows at night because of the construction noise.
Residents also asked for fire protection plans as construction activity continues and for Denver Water to commit each pledge improvement into writing. “There have already been too many broken promises by Denver Water,” resident Richard Myers said.
Boulder County has hired a consultant to study the effects of the construction on residents and will produce a set of recommendations on how the $5 million could be best spent, Barb Halpin, project manager,said.
