Boulder County approves move toward Prince Lake No. 1 dam rehabilitation

Boulder County commissioners voted June 10 to advance contracting for construction work at Prince Lake No. 1 Dam, a county-owned reservoir that was reclassified by the state as a higher-hazard dam.

Prashant, project manager and project lead for the Prince Lake project, told commissioners that the Colorado State Engineer’s Office reclassified the reservoir from a low-hazard to a significant-hazard dam in February 2017, and that the county has been working with the state to design corrective work. "We plan to start construction July 15 at the earliest," Prashant said, and staff set an ambitious goal to complete work before the start of the 2026 irrigation season so the reservoir can be returned to operation for agricultural use.

The nut graf: The reclassification carries stricter safety requirements and, according to staff, could trigger a state-ordered water hold if the structure is not brought into compliance. County staff said they coordinated timing with water-right owners and tenants to minimize agricultural impacts while designing resilient reservoir components to withstand large floods.

In presenting the item, Prashant summarized project history and schedule, saying the project design took several years and that construction is targeted to begin mid-July and finish before the 2026 water season. He said the design aims to withstand extreme flood events and that staff notified water users and tenants of the proposed schedule. "We are ambitious to complete this project by March," he said, referring to the intended completion before the irrigation season.

Commissioner Sullivan said she had outstanding questions about details and communications with tenants but did not oppose moving forward: she noted community members and farmers had unanswered questions and said staff and commissioners were working to resolve them. Another commissioner asked about potential unintended consequences to agricultural operations and whether access could be preserved during construction; staff said they planned the schedule to lessen impacts and are coordinating with landowners.

A motion to approve the item was made and seconded; the meeting record shows the motion carried with the chair saying "all in favor. Aye. Aye." The agenda item referenced an RFP (RFP number 13325) for construction services for Prince Lake No. 1 Dam. The transcript did not include a line-by-line vote tally of individual commissioners' recorded votes.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to work with tenants and water-right owners on timing and mitigation and return to the board as required by procurement and project processes.