CK, Linda, and I just returned from a fact-finding mission in northern Colorado: How does the city of Greeley turn Rocky Mountain snowmelt into the best-tasting water in North America?
Turns out it’s thanks to guys like John Thornhill (left), water resources operations manager at Greeley, and Randy Gustafson (right), water resources administrator. And though we kind of knew that already, we feigned ignorance so that the two of them would take us on a field trip.
That’s how we ended up eating lunch on the front porch of a remote cabin with this view of Peterson Lake—at roughly 9,500 feet in elevation and just a stone’s throw from Rocky Mountain National Park. And how we learned a thing or two about water management, prior appropriation, what it means when someone has a “call on the river,” transbasin diversions, and what the heck a natural conveyance is.
Now, it’s not often that all three of us feel like the dumb kids in the room (usually it’s just me). But being around Randy and John, well…let’s just say that these guys are a great asset to the city. Congratulations on the award, fellas, and thanks for a great time.
