As the Fryingpan-Arkansas project, of which Pueblo Dam is a key component, celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, it underscores how important this facility is to the Southern Delivery System (SDS) project and its partner communities – Colorado Springs, Pueblo West, Fountain and Security.  The water for SDS will be stored in Pueblo Dam and transported through 50 miles of pipe to these communities to ensure a long-term, reliable water supply for existing customers and future generations.

The “Fry-Ark” project is a multipurpose water diversion built to supply Southern Colorado cities and agriculture much needed water.  The Fry-Ark provides water to 720,000 people and irrigates 265,000 acres. El Paso County citizens pay taxes to the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District that account for more than 70 percent of the total tax receipts used by the District to repay the federal government for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Fry-Ark Project facilities. 

New North Outlet Works Tested

For the past year, Colorado Springs Utilities has been constructing a connection at Pueblo Dam for the SDS water pipeline.  The connection – a significant modification to what’s known as the North Outlet Works – was tested this summer to ensure the system is working properly. The Bureau of Reclamation and Colorado Spring Utilities performed several successful tests that involved transporting water stored in dam through the new outlet works valves allowing water to flow into the Arkansas River.  Click here to watch the testing in action.

The new connection worked well and operated as planned. Not only does the new North Outlet Works provide a connection to SDS, it gives the Bureau of Reclamation another way to control water leaving the dam. Pueblo West residents will receive future water from SDS through a pipeline running from this outlet works connection.