History

SHAWNEE WATER CONSUMER'S ASSOCIATION: A DRY HISTORY

The first meeting of the SWCA was June 30th, 1929. Denver Attorney WW Garwood facilitated the formation and it cost $40 to join the association to get a tap for water. Mr. Roger Knight was the first president with Mae Davis as the secretary. Some of those first members were HB Walker, WH Price, James Price, Emma Tyler, HB Young, AJ Gould, Mrs. HG Cross, GW Starbuck, Sara Tyler, Sue Tillotson, John S Hale, and HJ Tjernlund. Corporate Certificates were handed out to all members.

In July of 1929 the fun began. A July 8th, 1929, letter from Emma Tyler questioned the formation of SWCA because it conflicted with the water usage of the Shawnee Lodge. Another letter from Roger Knight, who was a founder of United Bank in Denver, urged that a new pump be purchased and that a well by the river be dug instead of direct river water pumping. The Lodge burned down on August 23, 1929 the day before the great Wall Street stock market crash.

That new pump was sold in the 1980's for a token and hauled away by an engine museum in Ft. Collins. Apparently it was a rare large single cylinder gasoline pump engine, a 6 1/2 horsepower AP Alamo Engine with a Wyco Magneto. It was very heavy and gradually sinking into the river. So, it was given to the museum.

In August of 1929, there is a receipt for labor by caretaker D.O.Wheeler. Another letter about irrigation problems from Mr. Tjerlund. James Price sent in a bill in September of 1929 to be paid for labor and two teams of horses. Thus, begins a long history of drudgery, upset neighbors, water shortages, and lost tempers. One of the many serious problems began in April of 1931 when Mr. Debinardi bought the Lodge property and offered to sell the reservoir and pipelines to SWCA and 75% of the stream. There were illegal diversions, threats of shutting off water, vandalized pipelines, fierce negotiations. In July there is more confusion when Stark writes to Knight that Stark and Thomas paid $250 for water when the Hotel put in a pump and pipeline at the river in 1902. In the end a severe drought in August begins the need to pump water from the river. In a letter of September 5, 1931, Emma Tyler writes a long letter to Mr. Knight about being out of water and Price not knowing how to start the pump. She suggests putting Gould in charge because Price and Davis are feuding with Debinardi.

Water rights are eventually purchased, reservoirs and pipelines are owned, and things calmed down a little. In the early days of SWCA the water sources were water from the Price Ditch at Starvation (Gibbs) Gulch and the river. But, in the 1940's and 1950's Jess Fitzsimmons, Perry Fitzsimmons and RS Hobson added the Kennedy Gulch pipeline to the system, the Shawnee Water Supply Reservoir, and a concrete reservoir (1946) that is in use today as our Treatment Facility. They had a bulldozer. They put in pipelines. They made improvements. Harmon Edgington dug out the 6.42 acre foot Shawnee Water Supply Reservoir in 1947. But, the problems persisted. An August, 1951, letter from Etta Locklear who owned the old Blue Barn property has a terrible story of trees destroyed and flower beds buried, water shortages, losing her husband, disgruntled neighbors, and having to leave Shawnee to make a living.

There has been a great deal of work and emotional turmoil in our little community's water system that is one of the oldest in the state. Yet it persists because of its vital importance, and the never-ending efforts of the Shawnee Water Consumers Association membership. Each generation has contributed to the water system and made improvements that serve their community.

In 1971 a well was dug above the holding pond behind the concrete reservoir. A road was built to serve the growing water system. A slow sand filter was installed to improve water quality.

In the early 1980’s a third well was dug as a supplemental well near the concrete reservoir. Also, through the efforts of long-time board treasurer Dwight Wells senior water rights were purchased and an augmentation plan was drafted by new member Vincent Tolpo and later refined by Denver water attorneys. It was finally adjudicated in Water Court in 1991.

In 1999 and 2000 a $156,000. Federal grant was obtained by Vincent Tolpo, Leona Nelson, Steve Fanesteil and Floyd Jones to refurbish the entire system. This was a huge effort joined by long time caretaker resident Chuck Gore, Dave Winner, and several other water users. New pipelines and an above ground steel reservoir tank were installed, and the concrete reservoir was converted into a new Treatment Facility. SWCA finally had compliant treated water in adequate supply with reliable water pressure to the homeowners. The value of a tap increased to $18,000.

Through the early 2000’s a new contemporary board headed up by presidents Floyd Jones and Dave Winner brought the SWCA online with computerized billing. Matt Schubert designed a website.

In 2014 Ken Dunn took over as president and new regulations by the Division of Water Resources forced full water usage reporting by SWCA. Struggling to be compliant, the SWCA, Vincent Tolpo, secured another grant for $16,000 to pay an engineer to design an online reporting spreadsheet and to design and purchase measuring devices. The Colorado Rural Water organization has joined the project to provide a Source Water Protection Plan and certain implementation devices and fencing. These projects were completed in 2017 and online reporting to Colorado Water Resources has begun. Negotiations were begun to rehab and enlarge the Shawnee Water Supply Reservoir with UPSPWCD, USFS, and HASP. Terry Peterson new land owner disputed the 1971 road but gave permission for usage and was hired for snow plowing. In 2017 the SWCA board voted to become a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization with many community programs.

The SWCA was not able to form into the 501(c)3, however the Shawnee Civic Association was created as a 501(c)3 to perform those programs. Throughout 2017 to 2020 the SWCA tried to implement the Shawnee Water Plan to sell water by the gallon and by the acre foot. SWCA needs alternative funding sources to thrive. Pat Parker the SWCA certified water operator has been with SWCA for nearly 20 years. Floyd Jones has become the facilities supervisor.

Board members come and go, tempers subside, neighbors make up and Shawnee continues as what was once called the "World's Paradise".

by Vincent Tolpo

SWCA president 1983 to 1999, SWCA Vice President 2005-2016, President 2017 to present