Southeastern Water Conservancy Regional Agreement

At a glance

What: Resolution 51-26 (file 26-203) approving an intergovernmental agreement between the City, for its Colorado Springs Utilities enterprise, and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District for regional water service agreements (related to Reclamation contract 11XX6C0005 and a March 18, 2026 regionalization agreement).
Outcome: Adopted 8-0-0-1 on May 26, 2026 under Utilities Business. Casey recused himself.
Recusal: Casey works for the U.S. Department of the Interior, parent agency of the Bureau of Reclamation; he said he does not work on water issues and has no direct conflict, but recused to avoid the appearance of one on guidance from the Interior ethics office and the City Attorney's Office.

Jenny Bishop, Resource Planner IV for Colorado Springs Utilities, presented with Travas Deal available: the District, the Reclamation contract, IGA provisions and next steps.
Henjum asked who uses the regional facility in the southeast: Security, Fountain and Stratmoor Hills through the Southern Delivery System. Leinweber asked how water acquired across the continental divide relates to the IGA: Southern Delivery System water is pulled from Pueblo Reservoir, which is an important storage vessel for the water Utilities uses for exchange.
Other Utilities items adopted the same day on the Consent Calendar, 9-0-0-0: Resolution 46-26 (special contract for augmentation service with Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station), 47-26 (abandoning conditional water rights tied to the Sugar Loaf Reservoir) and 48-26 (IGA with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and others on aquatic nuisance species at Twin Lakes and Turquoise Lake).

May 26, 2026: moved by Donelson, seconded by Gold; adopted 8-0-0-1. Aye: Crow-Iverson, Donelson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams. Recused: Casey.

City Council minutes, May 26, 2026: https://legistar2.granicus.com/coloradosprings/meetings/2026/5/2781_M_City_Council_26-05-26_Meeting_Minutes.pdf (item 8.A; attachments: draft resolution, presentation, regionalization agreement, signed Resolution 51-26).

Utilities Business item 8.A. Questions on who uses the facility and on Pueblo Reservoir storage; adopted 8-0-0-1 with Casey recused.