The Jackson Gulch Reservoir is full and set at 100 percent allotment for irrigation in 2016, Mancos Water Conservancy District Superintendent Gary Kennedy said.
The Conservancy District Board held its monthly meeting on May 10. The board hopes to appoint another member before the June meeting, Kennedy said.
The potential transfer of the reservoir to the conservancy district again was a topic of discussion for the board, but no decisions were made, Kennedy said. Board members discussed how to deal with federal withdrawal land for the project, as well as upcoming appraisals for the land, he said.
The district is planning a party on July 16 to celebrate its 75th anniversary, Kennedy said. A midday barbecue will take place at the Jackson Gulch picnic area. More information for that event is forthcoming, he said.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation currently holds the water rights for the Jackson Gulch project, and the board discussed getting those rights at the meeting, Kennedy said. The district would prefer those water rights to be in the district’s name instead of the federal government, and the board has been discussing that issue since the 1990s, he said.
The Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project has been kickstarted, Kennedy said. That project involves giving some attention to the reservoir inlet canals, including clearing rocks, possibly starting in 2019, he said.