State water officials for the Arkansas River Basin raised eyebrows in 2021 when they began applying state water law to ponds. The effects of the new pond-management plan have now rippled into the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District.
Chaffee County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the BlueTriton Brands 1041 permit conditions after another round of deliberations Tuesday, ending a months-long process delayed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An updated draft of the proposed BlueTriton Brands 1041 permit includes $30,000 for “development and implementation” of a comprehensive county sustainability plan. Once fully approved, the permit would allow BlueTriton to continue using Ruby Mountain Springs groundwater for its Arrowhead bottled water operations.
A 1-acre education and research garden is beginning to take shape at Lake Ranch, about 5 miles northwest of downtown Salida.