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Ouray County authorizes short-term water service contract with Bureau of Reclamation
Summary
The Board authorized the Chair to sign a short-term water service contract (contract #23WCD-40-947, amendment 3) with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Tri-County Water Conservancy District for roughly 3,000 acre-feet of water with minor red-line changes; the motion carried unanimously.
The Ouray County Board of County Commissioners unanimously authorized the Chair to sign a short-term water service contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Tri-County Water Conservancy District on April 14.
Staff described the contract as substantially similar to prior agreements and said recent non-substantive edits requested by the Bureau (90-day notice for future amendments, a five-year term through 2028 as a potential longer stop‑gap) had been incorporated into a red-line draft. The contract specifies 3,000 acre-feet of agricultural water and an additional 6 acre-feet for municipal and industrial (M&I) use; the county's allocation in the current term is budgeted at about $15,000.
A commissioner asked whether a five-year contract could avoid annual renegotiations; staff said the county would request longer terms but federal contracting often retains annual adjustments. Commissioner discussion emphasized the desire for greater multi-year certainty but acknowledged federal constraints.
Commissioner (speaker 2) moved to authorize the Chair to sign contract #23WCD-40-947, amendment 3, incorporating the red-line changes shown on screen; another commissioner seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff asked for limited flexibility to finalize non‑substantive wording before signature, with the board agreeing that substantive changes would be returned for ratification.
Staff said the county will pursue discussions with federal staff about a longer-term arrangement and will work with Tri-County Water Conservancy District on final language pending their board and counsel review.
Action: Chair authorized to sign the short-term water service contract with stated red-line changes; staff to pursue potential longer-term contract options.
