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VOL. 142. NO. 12 | THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 | $1.00
County utility proposes rate increase Inflation continues to push material costs up Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
Jacob Spetzler
‘Al Johnson was a mighty brave man …’
Crested Butte Mountain Resort hosted its 49th annual Al Johnson telemark race on Sunday, March 19. Free-heeled skiers climbed 660 vertical feet from the base to the top of the North Face Lift before descending 1,200 feet and finishing at the end of the Last Steep. For more photos, see A13.
Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA), the nonprofit power utility serving Gunnison County, has proposed a rate increase that, if approved, will go into effect at the start of summer. The co-op’s Board of Directors is pursuing an overall average rate increase of 3.8% and an average residential bill increase of 4.5%, effective May 1, 2023. “That's extremely tight, even from a utility ratesetting and regulatory perspective,” said co-op CEO Mike McBride. "We're doing all we can to keep ourbelt tight.” Inflated materials costs have continued to push rates increases the last decade. The co-op’s last increase was May 1, 2022 at 1.9%, and prior increases since 2014 have fluctuated between 2% and 3%. “Costs for pretty much everything have gone up,” Utilities A6
Local ranchers Solar array TODAY uninterested in proposed for water cuts for pay large city project Wary of longlasting damage at Van Tuyl Ranch INSIDE
NEWS: Local struck by car in crosswalk, A2
NEWS: Two lost in avalanches this weekend, A10
to pastures
Bella Biondini Times Editor
SPORTS: National victories for Western winter athletes, B7
OBITUARIES A3-A4 OPINION A4-A5 CLASSIFIEDS A15-A17 SPORTS B7 ONLINE GUNNISONTIMES.COM
The Colorado River Water Conservation District is asking Gunnison Valley ranchers to reduce their water usage for pay. As California, Arizona and Nevada prepare for more cuts this year, water leaders hope the voluntary program, which is still under development, will show that the Upper Basin states are doing their part to save the crashing Colorado River system. But for many agricultural producers, water is worth far more than money. As the amount of water the Colorado River has to give slowly diminishes, along with the storage levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the four Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming have continued to explore the feasibility of “demand management” programs. These involve temporary, voluntary and compensated reductions in water use.
The water saved would be placed into a “storage account” that would be under the control of the Upper Colorado River Commission and out of the hands of the federal government — protecting the region from uncertainty in its water supply and ensuring it can still release the Lower Basin’s allotted share of water downstream. Each Upper Basin state is conducting its own investigation into whether or not the idea of demand management is actually possible. Many questions still linger: How can this water be tracked and accounted for? How much money is an acre-foot of water worth? Because of the Gunnison Valley’s proximity to Blue Mesa Reservoir, Andy Mueller, the general manager of the River District, pitched it as an optimal location for a demand management pilot program — an experiment to see if the water saved could actually be “shepherded” or guided into the reservoir without being diverted by another water user. Reducing water consumption for the benefit of the Upper Basin’s system in the Gunnison Valley would require the coopWater use A6
Bella Biondini
The new surface water treatment plant will be located along a portion of the Van Tuyl Loop Trail, which is both a city-owned property and a popular open space for recreation.
Reservoir also being considered on site Bella Biondini Times Editor
Users of Gunnison’s popular Van Tuyl Loop Trail get unob-
structed views of open farmlands, the Gunnison River and the nearby Palisades. But the future of construction of a new surface water treatment plant, possibly outfitted with solar panels, may change that experience. The City of Gunnison began the planning and design process for a $20-30 million surface water treatment plant late Solar A7