In 2024, Barr was hired by the Town of Frederick, Colorado, to assist with a water rights court case around the proposed releases of water from Milavec Reservoir to replace historical irrigation return flows. A key issue centered around downstream water quality impacts from the releases resulting from the reservoir’s history of higher nutrients and algal blooms.
Barr helped the town evaluate the water quality of the reservoir and several sources that supplied water to the reservoir and users downstream, including the Lower Boulder Ditch. We determined it was likely that the water quality of the proposed Milavec Reservoir releases would be comparable to downstream sources owned and operated by others. Barr was then able to help negotiate a settlement to avoid trial. We are now helping the town monitor the water quality of the reservoir and develop a water quality study to determine when and how often releases from the reservoir will be restricted to avoid downstream impacts.
