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Parks & Recreation report: vendors, staffing, irrigation plans and lake water-rights license reviewed
Summary
Parks staff reported vendor sign-ups for summer events, ongoing hiring for maintenance positions, irrigation and pump needs for park projects, and discussed a newly issued water-right license for Jefferson County Lake that county staff said appears to be nonconsumptive and limited in usefulness.
Parks & Recreation staff updated the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners on vendor contracts, summer programming, staffing and system upgrades, and read a recently issued water-right license pertaining to Jefferson County Lake.
Parks staff said vendor sign-ups for the Fourth of July are underway and that several returning vendors, including Tropical Snow and La Mexicana, submitted contracts that the board approved. Staff reported they are advertising for a full-time maintenance position and expect some returning seasonal staff; they said having experienced seasonal staff will reduce hiring needs.
On irrigation and water supply, parks staff said school-district pump capacity at a location the county uses is insufficient and may require a larger pump or a second pump. Staff described plans to size the system with a local designer and to include inline filtration to reduce nozzle clogging. Staff also described grant and design ideas for park connectivity and walking/bike paths between the fairgrounds and a planned new park.
During the parks presentation staff read aloud a state-issued water-right license for Jefferson County Lake that grants diversion authority for 2 cubic feet per second (CFS) annual rate (described in the license as 380 acre-feet per year) with a stated period of use of April 1 through Oct. 31. Staff emphasized key conditions: the right allows diversion only when the lake has already filled and water is flowing out of the lake into the dry bed; the right explicitly “does not authorize the diversion of water to fill the lake.” The license includes requirements for a measuring device and lockable control works approved by the department and states use must be nonconsumptive and regulated by the water master.
Parks staff and commissioners expressed concern that, as written, the license would not authorize pumping water from the lake for irrigation (a consumptive use) and may therefore be of limited practical value for watering park turf. Staff said they would pursue clarifications with the state water resources department and continue efforts to secure a consumptive water right or other arrangements to support campground and park irrigation needs.
No formal board action was taken during this presentation; county staff will follow up with the water resources department and report back on options for consumptive use, pump upgrades, and the scope and funding needs for the new park projects.
