Landowners question whether Fountain Creek can be saved

After years of talk, Colorado Springs and Pueblo reached a 20-year, $460 million deal to make stormwater improvements minimize severe flooding downstream.

Those who live downstream say it’s a good start, but question whether it’s too late.

“Since 1997, we’ve lost about 65 acres,” said Bob Barr as he looked down at Fountain Creek from his farmland north of Pueblo.

Barr remembers when he could drive his tractor across the creek because it was completely dry.

Now, it divides his land and forces him to drove a long way around to farm the other side.

“It’s troubling for me to think how we’re going to manage it for the next 10 years. The last 10 year have been hard enough,” he said.

The land Barr has lost to the creek has cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, he says.

Much of the water was previously absorbed in the Colorado Springs area, but it’s now sent downstream due to all the roofs, parking lots, and streets that have replaced the absorbent ground.

Mayor John Suthers explained the situation to city council members on Monday.

“It’s a problem we have to deal with, regardless of the level of public support,” he said, recognizing that most people would rather see $460 million spent on roads or other infrastructure project.

However, Suthers also explained that if the agreement was not made, the city could likely face lawsuits from both Pueblo County and the Department of Justice, due to the city’s lack of spending on stormwater improvements in recent years as required by law.

“I personally don’t think we could come up with any better result by litigating on two fronts,” said Suthers.

Pueblo County commissioners were presented with the terms of the agreement Monday also.

They have long pushed for more flood control measures by the city of Colorado Springs.

“It shows a real good faith effort on both sides to actually control the stormwater and to protect the Pueblo County citizens,” says Buffie McFadyen.

The agreement calls for the money to be spent on at least 71 separate infrastructure improvement projects.

If those projects are not completed by 2035, the city of Colorado Springs would have to pay about $26 million a year for at least five years beyond that.

Barr, however, questions whether it’s still too little too late.

“We’re a little behind, and it’s probably going to cost a lot more than half a billion dollars to catch up,” he says.

Most of the $460 million will come from the city of Colorado Springs, and Suthers said it’s possible city leaders could re-instate a stormwater fee to help pay for the improvements.

There is no requirement that the money come from the general fund, so special fees or grants could both be used as alternate sources.