In 2024, Barr was hired by the Town of Frederick, Colorado, to assist with a water rights court case surrounding proposed releases of water from Milavec Reservoir to replace historical irrigation return flows. One of the case’s central issues was the potential impacts from these releases on downstream water quality, given the reservoir’s history of elevated nutrient levels 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. We determined that the water quality of the proposed releases would likely be comparable to that of downstream sources owned and operated by others. Barr was then able to help the town negotiate a settlement to avoid trial.
We’re now helping the town monitor the reservoir’s water quality and develop a study to determine when and how often reservoir releases will be restricted to avoid potential downstream impacts. Applying monitoring data to a mass-balance model will allow us to quantify water-quality changes that may be attributable to reservoir releases.
In addition, to reduce the likelihood of future algal blooms, Barr is helping the town obtain a permit for a nutrient-binding treatment to remove excess phosphorus, a nutrient that promotes algae growth. This approach serves to mitigate the potential impacts of reservoir releases on downstream water quality and enhance the water quality benefits of those releases.
Stronger understanding and control of the reservoir’s water quality will help the Town of Frederick manage Milavec Reservoir as a future source of potable water and support a Direct Use Water Supply classification from the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission—the state’s official recognition of drinking water sources—which will help the town meet the future water needs of its growing community.
