Rueter-Hess Reservoir Supplemental EIS
The Lytle Water Solutions team is providing hydrologic services to the third party consultant, URS Corporation, related to the expansion of Rueter-Hess Reservoir from 16,200 ac-ft to 71,920 ac-ft. The SEIS also includes regional partners: Castle Rock, Castle Pines North Metropolitan District, and Stonegate Village Metropolitan District. The LWS Purpose and Need Report and SEIS Scoping Summary (large pdf files - may be slow to download), and other related documents, can be viewed at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Website, www.nwo.usace.mil.
Construction of the 16,200 ac-ft Rueter-Hess Reservoir was completed in November 2006. Details of the planning and development of Rueter-Hess can be found on these pages:
- Reservoir Evolution: Maps show the planned development from the original design to its current configuration and then to its ultimate capacity. Mr. Lytle selected the reservoir location in 1985.
- Reservoir Features: Shows how water will be routed to and from Rueter-Hess.
- Reservoir Service Area: Location map of the service area delineated in the Rueter-Hess Reservoir Supplemental EIS.
- Reservoir Construction Photos: Show construction progress of Phase 1, from May 2005 to November 2006.
Photos by Jackie Shumaker Photography.
Colorado State University / Parker Water and Sanitation District Urban - Rural Water Management Project
Colorado State University (CSU) and the Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) recently signed an agreement for a 3-year research study investigating viable techniques related to rotational crop management and more efficient irrigation practices to make historic agricultural water available for municipal purposes, while maintaining a viable rural economy. Bruce Lytle, of Lytle Water Solutions, is the Project Manager for this 3-year study. This study will be a keystone to successful water management strategies to provide reliable water supplies for both urban and rural interests.
Bruce Lytle presented a paper on adaptive water management at the AWRA 2006 Summer Specialty Conference in Missoula, Montana. Mr. Lytle's slideshow presentation, "Conversion of Municipal Water Supplies from Non-Renewable to Renewable Resources," described how the Parker Water and Sanitation District has adapted its water supply from being entirely reliant on non-renewable resources to one that will manage its non-renewable resources through surface water storage and develop renewable water resources from historic agricultural water supplies, using innovative crop management practices.
This presentation was given in conjunction with a presentation by Mr. Frank Jaeger, Parker Water and Sanitation District Manager, entitled "Successful Water Management Strategies." Mr. Jaeger's presentation describes the construction of Rueter-Hess Reservoir and its use as a water management tool, and the urban-rural water model, which seeks to use innovative crop management techniques to make water available to urban communities.
The Lytle Water Solutions team participated in the Division 3 Rules and Regulations trial regarding proposed new water regulations in the Rio Grande Basin. Messrs. Lytle and Hahn presented expert testimony in the areas of surface water hydrology, ground water hydrology, water rights and ground water modeling. The trial lasted six weeks, from January 31 to March 10, 2006; numerous press articles were released throughout the trial proceedings.
Cherry Creek Stewardship Conference Presentation
Bruce Lytle delivered a presentation on the fate and transport model of the upper Cherry Creek Basin, which is designed to assist in assessing the total maximum annual phosphorus load (TMAL) for Cherry Creek Reservoir. Mr. Lytle oversaw the monitoring of Cherry Creek Basin's surface and ground water flow and water quality for more than a decade. These data are being used in the modeling and TMAL process in which Mr. Lytle is participating as a technical peer reviewer.