PCM operated under the various laws and procedural obligations of the State of Colorado, Colorado Water Court (Water Division 5) and Grand County, Colorado – and has done so since 1994. The water augmentation plan which was approved by the water court (Case No. 94WC223) provides PCM HA, and the membership, with the water rights and guidance that allows the individual lot owners (members) to drill wells on their property, and the guidelines to protect those water rights for both the association and its members.
Key Information:
Each lot is entitled to a well, but each well requires a well permit, issues by the state of Colorado through Grand County, Colorado.
Each well is protected and regulated by the above-mentioned Water Augmentation Plan. Some provisions include-
o The water meter holder is responsible for reporting their water usage monthly. The usage report is done through the PCM website (www.polecreekmeadows.com).
o In accordance with the Water Augmentation Plan, in-house usage per well is calculated at a maximum rate of 0.314 ac-ft per year (102,364 gal.).
o Irrigation, outside water usage, is maximized at 0.046 ac-ft (14,996 gal.) per year.
The inside and outdoors usage are not separated on most well meters, so the monthly reporting would include any usage drawn from the well. Total usage works out to a maximum of about 8,000 gallons a month.
o All the above calculations are based on a formula of 3.5 people per household using 80 gallons of water per day. There are some other qualifiers, but the Water augmentation plan has a limit of .36 ac-ft (roughly 117,000 gallons) per household.
PCM’s Water Augmentation Plan also addresses the issue of water rights and the responsibilities that come with them. To protect our water rights, and the senior water right holders, there are further steps PCM must take.
o Beyond the accounting identified above, PCM is also responsible for holding water for release, if necessary. PCM has purchased the rights to 10 ac-ft of water in the Wolford Reserve, managed by the Middle Park Water Conservation District.
The annual Supplemental Common Assessment in your dues invoice covers the administrative charges from the MPWCD
This will protect us from any ‘downstream’ calls for water release from senior water-rights holders.
o PCM also has, and maintains, water holdings within the boundaries of our property. Pond 1, off Meadows Blvd. in the open space, serves as our water holding for ‘upstream’ releases to satisfy local water calls from senior water-rights holders. This pond also serves as PCM’s ‘fire pond’.
o Every seven years or so, since our Water Augmentation Plan was approved, we are required to defend our stewardship of the water rights we were granted. This requires us to go to Water Court and defend the privilege of the water rights we have been granted. It requires attorneys and water engineers and all the documentation we can gather to support our rights. It is expensive and time-consuming – and necessary.
Water, in the state of Colorado, is multi-jurisdictional, complex, and critically important. The Water Augmentation Plan requires that an HOA be formed to handle the administration of the process but also requires the individual members to be involved and actively participate in the compliance.
Please request any further information or copies of any water documents directly from the Water Committee. The contact information is Contact Page of this website.