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Custer County agrees to pursue registration of Kettlecamp pond as fire‑suppression water source
Summary
The board voted to move forward with an application to register a private pond near North Creek as an official fire‑suppression pond and to notify the state engineer and appropriate fire district; the owner and fire district support the request.
The Custer County Board of County Commissioners agreed to move forward with an application to register a privately owned pond for official use as a fire-suppression water source.
Todd Kettlecamp, a property owner represented as having family property near Custer County's eastern border, asked the board to place his pond under consideration for formal registration. Meeting discussion indicated the pond has been used repeatedly in past fire operations and that the Huerfano (Hilo) Fire Protection District provided a letter of support in the applicant's packet.
Staff outlined the next steps: the county must sponsor the application, notify the state engineer and interested parties (an advertised notification to roughly 380 people was mentioned), and obtain a needs assessment typically prepared by the local fire district. Commissioners discussed which fire district would complete the assessment; Beulah Fire District offered to prepare the assessment if appropriate. Staff said an agreement with the landowner will be required under the regulations before the county forwards the application.
Speakers noted the pond appears deep enough for helicopter dipping (speakers estimated 6 to 12 feet deep), and that perimeter obstacles such as ponderosa pine trees may need to be removed if they infringe required helicopter landing/approach radii.
The board voted to approve moving Kettlecamp's request forward as an official application under the state law the applicant referenced in the meeting (referred to in the transcript as a Senate bill/regulatory process for registering fire-suppression ponds). The board directed staff to obtain the required assessment and supporting documents and to prepare the county sponsorship and application for submittal.
Ending: Staff will collect the district assessment and supporting exhibits, complete required notifications and submit the application package to the state engineer. The board noted the adjudication/priority status of older ponds typically eases the registration process where a pond pre-dates 1972.
