Dear agricultural producer, 

As a registered produce grower in the Arkansas River Valley, we want to make sure you have seen the notice from the City of Pueblo Wastewater Department (CPWD) regarding the unintended discharge of approximately 4.25 million gallons of raw sewage into the Arkansas River. 

State officials were notified of the discharge on Thursday afternoon, August 27, after the discharge was halted at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Because a large amount of raw sewage was released into the Arkansas River, your irrigation water could be impacted. 

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is working closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, as well as the City of Pueblo, Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, and other local, state and federal partners to assess the situation. We’re working with partners who are testing water samples and we will provide more information as soon we’re able to. 

Produce growers who fall under the FDA’s Produce Safety Rule must ensure any water they use before, during or after harvest is of adequate quality. 

Please review your current water handling procedures to assess what you should do if you suspect your water supply was impacted by this event. You can find water safety best practices in CDA’s most recent Produce Safety Newsletter. 

We will share more information as we receive it from our partner agencies. 

If you have any questions, you can contact CDA’s Produce Safety team at cda_produce.safety@state.co.us. 

Duane Sinning

Produce Safety Program Administrator

From: DWR - DNR Ark River Ops

Call Change:  September 25, 2026 at 8:07 a.m.

• 🌊 William and Hamm Ditch is in priority (ADMIN # 9982 / 4-30-1877).
• 🌊 Canon City - Oil Creek Ditch is in priority (ADMIN # 6360 / 5-31-1867).
• 🌊 Pueblo Water Works is in priority (ADMIN # 8857 / 4-1-1874). 
• 🌊 South Canon is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 11839 / 5-31-1882).
• 🌊 Bessemer is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 11778 / 3-31-1882). 
• 🚱 Colorado Canal is out of priority. 
• 🌊  Rocky Ford Highline is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 12485 / 3-7-1884). 
• 🌊 Oxford is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 6473 / 9-21-1867). 
• 🚱 Otero is out of priority.   
• 🌊 Catlin is out of priority.
• 🚱  Holbrook is out of priority.
• 🌊 Rocky Ford Ditch diverting native flows including RIG I and RF II (ADMIN # 8901 / 5-15-1874).  
• 🌊  Fort Lyon is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 12524 / 4-15-1884).
• 🌊 Las Animas Consolidated is diverting native flows (ADMIN# 12485 / 3-7-1884). 
• 🌊 Keesee water right (Calls through JMR as of 4/26/2026 when the Paper evacuation of the Keesee Summer stored account was completed.  As such, the Keesee rights are eligible to call through JMR throughout the month of July. 
• Combined 02CW181 / 05CW52 - Limit of 636 ac-ft for the month.
  1. 02CW181 -   Limit monthly river headgate diversions to 318 ac-ft out of Volumetric limit of 431 ac-ft for the month. (To the Downstream Consumable Offset Account) - LAWMA  has voluntarily chosen this limit as a consequence of the 20 yr  cumulative limit and leaving water available in said limit for 2036.
  2. 05CW52 - Limit monthly river headgate diversions to 318 ac-ft out of Volumetric limit of 431ac-ft for month. (To the Arkansas River) -  LAWMA has voluntarily chosen this limit as a consequence of the 20 yr  cumulative limit and leaving water available in said limit for 2036.

• 🚱Amity is out of priority, can call thru JMR.
• 🌊Fort Bent is diverting native flows (ADMIN# 13240 / 4-1-1886).   Can call thru JMR.
• 🌊Lamar is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 13457 / 11-4-1886).  Can call thru JMR.
• 🚱Hyde is out of priority, can call thru JMR.
• 🌊Buffalo Ditch is diverting native flows (ADMIN # 12813 / 1-29-1885).   Can call thru JMR.
• 🌊XY is in priority and by decree is calling for water below Buffalo Ditch and is limited to available flows at Granada River gage. (ADMIN # 14448 / 7-22-1889) 
• 02CW181 - 67 cfs daily of river headgate diversions up to a monthly maximum of 2,140 ac-ft for the month.
• 15CW3067 - 2 cfs daily of river headgate diversions up to a monthly maximum of 64 ac-ft for the month. 
• 🐪CO/KS Compact (ADMIN # 36310 / 5-31-1949)

🐪 CANNOT CALL THRU JMR ----> has summer stored account water.
For more information on the River Call go to the Division of Water Resources CDSS link listed below.
https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/AdministrativeCalls/Active?submitButton=Submit&SelectedWaterDivisionId=2

Thank you!

Lonnie Spady Division 2 - River Operations Coordinator

P 719.542.3368 x2103  |  C 719.250.1655310 E. Abriendo Ave. Suite "B" Pueblo Colorado, 81004lonnie.spady@state.co.us | https://dwr.colorado.gov/
 

• 🐪CO/KS Compact (ADMIN # 36310 / 5-31-1949)
  For more information on the River Call go to the Division of Water Resources CDSS link listed below.
  https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/AdministrativeCalls/Active?submitButton=Submit&SelectedWaterDivisionId=2
  
  Thank you!
  Brandy Cole Division 2 -- East Regional Lead Water Commissioner Districts 17, 66 & 67
   

From: DWR - DNR Ark River Ops

•  May 19, 2023.  At 2:02 p.m.    
  
•  Good Afternoon,I just want to follow up to Lonnie's email from earlier today.  At the top it stated:

• "Administration of water rights are determined by priority of ADMINISTRATION NUMBER (adjudication date)."

• I  want to make sure we are being clear on this, priority is not based on  adjudication date. The priority is calculated using the appropriation  date and adjudication date and considers if the right is decreed as  original or supplemental.  This calculation takes into account the  postponement doctrine.  That calculated ranking number is called the  "Administration number" or "admin number". As the Division is  implementing the ArkDss call analysis tools, this question has come up  in conversation all across the basin and we are providing the Admin  number along with the call information to assist in helping water users  understand the ArkDss tools reporting functions. A lower admin number is  indicative of a more senior right.  I have prepared a powerpoint  presentation on this subject and have been presenting it at different  venues around the basin.  I plan to include it as a link in the "DE  Summary" section of the weekend update which will be coming out later  today.

• If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, I am more than happy to describe this term further.
   

Rachel A. Zancanella, P.E.

Division Engineer, Div. 2

State of Colorado, Division of Water Resources

310 E. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, CO  81004

Phone: 719-565-8686

email: rachel.zancanella@state.co.us