Liberty Ranch Information

Apr 09 2013

3:00 pm: The irrigation system at Liberty Ranch is up and running for the 2013 season with untreated irrigation water. Please keep in mind the 2013 irrigation water rates when you start your system. Due to the water shortage this year, the irrigation water rates will initially be $2.50/1000 gallons. The District will monitor usage and demand and may need to adjust rates later in the year. Remember...once it\'s gone...it\'s gone.

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Apr 04 2013

The District has just received it\'s initial allocation of water from the Highland Ditch. This year\'s allocation looks like it will be 58\" of water per share of Highland. The Liberty Ranch Development owns 4 Shares. Last year\'s allocation was 140\" of water per share, the previous year was 280\" of water per share, and a \"normal\" year is 268\" of water per share. 20\" of water will yield 1 acre foot of water or approximately 326,000 gallons. This year\'s 58\"/share should produce approximately 3.781 million gallons. Last year the Development used over 9 million gallons. Keep in mind that a share of Highland water sells for about $130,000/share.

As explained in the newsletter and in a previous notice on this website, The irrigation water rates have been increased to $2.50/1000 gallons to encourage conservation. The ditch will only yield what\'s available in the mountains, and in the Highland system. Once it\'s gone....it\'s gone!

We will have the system up and running no later than April 15th, and may have it ready the week before. As soon as we have a definite date to start, it will be posted here.

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Mar 28 2013

WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK FOR 2013
LIBERTY RANCH IRRIGATION SEASON
Many customers in the Liberty Ranch subdivision have already contacted our office with questions regarding this year’s irrigation season. “When are you starting the system?” “How much water is available?” “Are there going to be restrictions?” “Are the rates going increase?” These are all valid questions, and to put it in perspective, we need to look at your usage patterns over the last 2 years.
Your irrigation water is not treated. This is the main reason your irrigation water rates are significantly less than your domestic or treated water. As of last year, your domestic water was $3.30/1000 gallons, and your irrigation water was $1.25/1000 gallons. Typically, one does not tend to conserve water a rate of $1.25/1000 gallons. A % quota of water is set by Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District each year. Their allotted quota determines how much water Longs Peak Water can deliver. This year’s quota is initially set at 50%. A “normal” year is 70% or better. With these figures in mind, Liberty Ranch customers used over 9.1 million gallons of water during both 2011 and 2012 irrigation seasons. That’s all the water that was available in 2012 for the entire build-out of the subdivision! Now add another 100+ homes to that this year! That can’t, and will not happen during 2013. The water is not there! We don’t foresee ½ that amount for 2013…probably a lot less!
The District’s Board of Directors have decided that our customers will need to conserve their water, both domestic and irrigation for 2013. Due to the water outlook for 2013, your irrigation water rates will initially be set at $2.50/1000 gallons. We will monitor this closely each month. This rate is subject to change depending upon water usage and availability. The Highland Ditch (your irrigation source) is not expecting to run water until mid to late May! We will keep you posted of system start-up and any rate changes or restrictions on the website.
Keep in mind that if you plan on using your domestic water on your lawn or trees, do so sparingly. If you go over your 8000 gallon allotment of treated water per month, your domestic water rate increases to $10.00/1000 gallons! The internet is a great source to find ideas about water conservation. This is a great site, but there are several others. http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm. Do NOT attempt to access your meter. If a meter is accessed and broken, the home owner is responsible for the costs to repair the meter. Stay tuned as we will update this site when we are able to start the irrigation system

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Mar 14 2013

Recently the District has received some calls regarding the water quality in the subdivision. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE WATER IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE TO DRINK. You have surely noticed the construction equipment in the eastern part of the development. New pipelines have been installed for the new homes coming soon to Liberty Ranch. Unique smells and tastes come from the materials used in new pipe installation. Water pipe is installed using a food grade lubricant. This is a standard practice and has been used for years. The \"milky\" appearance is from air introduced when flushing the lines. District staff will be back in the subdivision today to do more flushing. This should decrease the taste and odor issues you may have noticed. After today\'s flushing, the water in the lines will need to \"settle down\". The water may appear \"milky\" for a couple of weeks. Once again, THE WATER IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAFE TO DRINK. If you still have concerns, please call the office. 303-776-3847 Our office manager will get you in touch with me.

We are sorry for this inconvenience.

Gary Allen
General Manager

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Oct 10 2012

Due to colder weather and current water use patterns, Seasonal shutdown of the Liberty Ranch Irrigation System will be on October 25th, 2012. The last day to run your sprinkler system will be October 24th, 2012.

All sprinkler blow-outs can be accomplished without accessing the District\'s meter pit. Please do not attempt to access our meter pit. If you have any questions, please call the office.

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Oct 03 2012

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Seasonal shutdown of the Liberty Ranch Irrigation System is tentatively scheduled for November 5, 2011. With dry conditions and current water use patterns, this date may need to be adjusted.

Check this website frequently for any changes to this date.

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Mar 18 2012

Tentative plans are to start-up the irrigation system the last week in March - the week of March 26, 2012. More information to be posted here as plans firm-up.

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Nov 07 2011

Seasonal shutdown of the Liberty Ranch Irrigation System will be done during the week of November 14, 2011.

There will be no additional irrigation via the irrigation system until start-up in the spring of 2012.

A notice of start-up date will be posted here when the Highland Ditch Company begins water delivery for 2012.

As always, if you need additional information, please call Barry Dykes or Gary Allen at the district offices at: 303-776-3847 or email us at: barry@lpwd.org or gary@lpwd.org.

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Mar 23 2011

11:00 am: The irrigation system at Liberty Ranch will be up and running by Friday, March 25, 2011 for the season with untreated irrigation water.

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Nov 08 2010

We will discontinue water service to the Liberty Ranch Irrigation System on Monday, November 15, 2010 for the season. Our first season was a bit of a learning experience, but things went very well thanks to our operations staff. We hope all went well for our customers. If you have comments, we would love to hear from you. Click on the \"contact us\" button on the left side menu and send Barry or Gary an email. Thanks for all your cooperation this year!! Barry

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Oct 10 2010

Shutdown of the Liberty Ranch Irrigation System for the season is tentatively scheduled for mid-November. Right now we are targeting the week of November 15. Should the weather take a significant turn for the worse, the shutdown date could be moved up a week or so. If you have any questions, please contact Gary Allen at our office - 303-776-3847.

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May 11 2010

11:27 a.m. The Liberty Ranch Pump Station has been activated and UNTREATED water is being delivered through the irrigation system to all customers of Liberty Ranch. Meter readings were taken this morning to allow us to bill our customers - beginning today - at the lower, untreated water rate for the rest of the irrigation season (or until the untreated water runs out). PLEASE NOTE: All customers should be aware and inform everyone in their household that all outdoor watering is being done with UNTREATED water, and that UNTREATED WATER is UNSAFE for drinking.

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Apr 14 2010

11:07 a.m. Due to the nasty wind yesterday which dried EVERYTHING out, we will start-up the irrigation system with treated water. The system will be up and operating by 4:00 p.m. Thursday (probably before).

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Apr 12 2010

10:00 a.m.: The pump station is ready to go. We continue to do some work on it - some alternative piping configurations and telemetry work - however that work will not delay the start-up and testing of the system. Right now we are waiting for the Highland Ditch Company to start running water for the year. This usually occurs in late April to mid-May depending upon conditions. We found out Friday, April 9 that Northern Water increased the C-BT quota from 50% to 80%. That means we have enough C-BT Water to introduce treated water into the irrigation system should conditions warrant. We will keep an eye on things and post a notice here if and when we decide to start-up the irrigation system with treated water.

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Jan 28 2010

10:55 a.m. Final electrcal inspection has been received. Final inspection on the building is expected this week. Remaining items for completion: Install pipe to connect pump station to pipeline (approximately one-day), start-up, training and testing (approximately one-day). The installation of the pipe to connect the pump station to the pipeline will be done as weather permits. Start-up, testing and training will take place when we are ready to begin irrigation for the season.

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Dec 03 2009

3:30 pm: Pump skid and building have been placed. Electrical hook-ups begin Thur (today) and continue until complete - perhaps a week or so. Piping connections will begin next week with completion to take about a week.

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Nov 30 2009

9:28 a.m.: Pump Station to be delivered and set today. Building to be delivered & set Tuesday. After that, electrical conections and interior wiring will take place. Addtionally, plumbing of the pump station will occur at the same time as electrical. Hopefully, all will be completed in a couple of weeks.

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Nov 12 2009

10:30 a.m.: Underground piping to and within pump station has been installed. Ready for the concrete floor to be poured. After the floor has been poured (probably next week), precast exterior walls and roof for the building will be delivered as will the pump station skid. The plan is to have the pump station skid delivered and set immediately followed by setting the precast walls and roof so as to not leave the skid exposed.

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Oct 19 2009

11:00 a.m. Headwall and headgate at the Highland Ditch have been installed and are complete. Pipeline from headgate to pond is complete. Electrical service has been installed. Pump station foundation wall is being formed and should be poured today or tomorrow. We will have to wait a few days before backfilling the foundation, then backfill and install pump station floor. Then the pump station skid with the pumps and piping will be delivered along with the precast pump station walls. As soon as the skid is off-loaded, the walls will be set followed by the roof.

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Oct 12 2009

9:22 a.m. The Liberty Ranch irrigation system will be shut down for the winter beginning Monday October 26th. Crews will be in the area working on the system during that week. Additionally, crews will be conducting backflow device testing during the next 30 days or so. If you have questions, please contact our office

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Oct 09 2009

5:05 p.m. Retaining wall has been poured and is covered until Monday or Tuesday. Backfill of the retaining wall should be done Monday or Tuesday followed by excavation for the pump station foundation. Concurrently, next week the new headwall, headgate and pipeline from the headgate across WCR 7 must be completed to accommodate paving of WCR 7 which is scheduled for the following week.

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Sep 04 2009

9:00 a.m. Construction of the pond is on hold for a few days - redesign of the retaining wall prompted this action. Additionally a small \"settling pond\" is being contemplated to improve water quality during periods of high runoff. Construction should resume in a week or so.

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Aug 26 2009

12:00 noon: Pond Liner installation complete. Work on the foundation for the pump station to begin as this week. Footings for the retaining wall to begin as soon as the survey work is complete - possibly this week. Once the footings for the pump station and retaining walls are complete and appropriate inspections made, work on the foundation and retaining walls will begin.

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Aug 11 2009

9:30 a.m.: Installation of the pump station wet-well is underway. The bottom section and inlet piping are scheculed to be complete today with the remaining sections to be completed tomorrow. The pond liner is to be delivered on Wednesday with installation of the liner to begin that day and continue until complete - probably between one and two weeks.

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Jul 27 2009

3:15 p.m.: Work on the rough excavation of the pond is complete. Next up: Excavation of the wet well for the pump station at the SE corner of the pond, installlation of the pre-cast wet well and floor of the pump station building, underdrain excavation/installation of the underdrain pipe and gravel, finish grading of the pond bottom and sides, pond liner installation.
The pipeline from the pond to the Highland Ditch has been installed except for the final 60 - 80 feet and the new headgate in the ditch. We are waiting for the ditch water level to subside a little before tackling that item.

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Jun 25 2009

10:25 a.m. Irrigation pipeline from Hwy 66 to the pond is complete. One remaining stretch - approximately 100 ft section from the Highland Ditch west across WCR 7. This will be installed concurrently with the new headgate and retaining wall.

Work on the pond continues. Barring any more significant rainfall, excavation on the pond should be near complete by July 4.

Following the completion of pond excavation, the pond liner will be installed and excavation of the pump house wet well, installation of concrete wet well and piping followed by pump house floor, pump skid and building.

United power has the installation of the underground electrical on hold until pump house excavation is complete.

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Jun 09 2009

10:45 a.m. Work continues on the pipeline between Highland Ditch and the pond. Good progress is being made. Work will resume on the pond if the rain ever stops and the ground dries up a little.

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May 27 2009

1:06 pm: Demolition work on the buildings south of Highway 66 along the west side of WCR 7 has begun. Once complete, crews will begin installation of the pipeline form Highland Ditch to the pond. Work on the pond has been delayed a few days (again) due to the recent and continuing rain.

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May 22 2009

4:21 p.m. There has been some question as to our involvement with the gas/oil well situation in Liberty Ranch. I would like to clear-up that issue. Please understand that Longs Peak Water District has no issue with the relocation of those facilities, as there will be no impact on District facilities. Therefore, we are simply interested observers on this issue. We may or may not attend meeting(s) on this issue - depending on our availability. All concerns we had about the oil/gas facilities have been addressed by Centex and/or the oil/gas company. Any future concerns regarding conflict between facilities will be handled by the District and either Centex or the oil/gas company.

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May 22 2009

4:13 p.m. After not having any action by the contractor as promised this week, we had a meeting and discussed all items pending along with agreeing on a schedule for pending work. Here is what came of that meeting: Different equipment is to be moved onto the site on Tuesday. Work on the pond will resume on Wed and the pond is now scheduled for completion the following week - probably Friday. The the pond liner will then be installed followed by installation of the dirt on top of the liner. Also begining next Tuesday, demolition work on some of the existing farm outbuildings will begin to accommodate installation of the new irrigation water line from the Highland Ditch to the pond. Work on the headwall and headgate at the Highland Ditch as well as the crossing of WCR 7 is to begin with a separate crew upon receipt of the headgate from the manufacturer - hopefully next week. A re-design of the pond to accommodate an underdrain caused some confusion that delayed the project a bit - that confusion has been addressed.

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May 15 2009

6:45 a.m. Delays due to the recent rain seem to be coming to an end. The ground has dried sufficiently for the contractor to resume pond excavation. One positive from the rains: we were able to get a good handle on the amount and level of groundwater in the pond area. The water table did rise to a point above the bottom of the pond necessitating design and installation of a means to avoid the groundwater \"floating\" the pond liner. Design is complete and the contractor will install this system along with the excavation process. Work on the headgate replacement and pipeline from the Highland Ditch headgate to the pond should begin next week. We have been waiting on St. Vrain School District to issue the purchase order for their pipeline replacement (2) so that all three pipelines could be installed concurrently. That P.O. is expected today.

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Apr 29 2009

8:30 a.m.: The good news is that it has been raining frequently. Average preciptation is above normal which is good for our outdoor irrigation needs. The bad news is that it has been raining frequently. Of course the frequent rains have delayed construction of the irrigation pond and replacement of the headgate on the Highland Ditch and irrigation pipeline from the Highland Ditch to the irrigation pond. Construction will resume as soon as conditions permit.

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Apr 02 2009

12:15 p.m. Earthmoving work on the irrigation pond has begun. Depending upon weather, this process is anticipated to take about 2 weeks. After the pond has been excavated, work on several retaining walls, inlet structures, outlet structures and concrete work for the pump station will begin. During this process another crew will begin replacement of the pipeline from the headgate of the Highland Ditch Company to the pond.

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Mar 17 2009

3:20 p.m. LIBERTY RANCH IRRIGATION SYSTEM: The Liberty Ranch Irrigation System is now operable with treated water. It will remain so until such time as the Ditch Water System is up and running - HOPEFULLY by mid to late May.

You will need to turn on the valve to your irrigation system. If you don\'t know the location of that valve on your property please call the office and ask. If someone is not there to answer your question, leave a message for Gary Allen and someone will return your call.

303-776-3847

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Mar 06 2009

11:10 a.m. Survey work on the pond is scheduled for next week with actual construction of the pond to follow. Relocation/replacement of the supply line from our Highland Ditch Company headgate is being coordinated with St. Vrain Valley School District relocation/replacement of two other irrigation lines in the same area. Initial survey work on that project is scheduled for next week as well.

Meetings were held with the Town of Mead and St. Vrain Valley School District representatives this week to coordinate our project with WCR 7 improvements, so neither would interfere with the other.

Although it may not look like any progress hase been made, we have spent in excess of $100,000 on the project since mid-February. Progress IS being made and on-site construction should begin soon.

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Feb 13 2009

1:00 p.m. Pump station is being ordered with a check provided for the deposit this week. Contractor is ready to start on the transfer pond and only a couple of small easement details remain. He should start soon. United Power will receive our check for their services this week and will place our project on their schedule. A meeting will be held regarding coordination work with the Town of Mead for some of their needs. Engineering firm being contacted to coordinate Weld Co Rd 7 reconstruction and the apparent conflict with the irrigation line that is to feed the pond - we don\'t see this as a stumbling block - rather just a relocation & planning issue. Should not hold anything up.

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Feb 02 2009

4:23 p.m. Received check from Centex today to fund the project. We will advise various contractors and service providers to proceed. Permits will be applied for and easements will be surveyed soon. We are prepared to move forward immediately.

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Jan 15 2009

11:34 a.m. District Board of Directors considered and approved Agreement with Centex for construction of Irrigation System. Signed Agreement sent to Centex today. They are to issue check for project costs. Upon receipt, project will begin.

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Jan 14 2009

9:30 a.m. Received signed copy of Agreement from Centex. Next step is for our Board of Directors to consider the Agreement and when approved, sign and return signed copy to Centex. They then will issue a check to the District. Upon receipt, the District will issue a \"begin construction\" order to the contractors who will begin construction as weather permits. Concurrently, District will place an order for the actual pump station \"skid\" (pumping equipment and controls). Manufacturer will begin building the skid for delivery - usually about an 8-10 week process. Groundwork and piping should be near complete when skid is ready for delivery.

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Dec 19 2008

10:50 a.m. E-mailed agreement with all blanks filled in to Centex. Will wait for their approval and check. We will have 90 days after receiving check in which to begin project. We do not intend to wait 90 days to begin, however weather conditions and ground frost will dictate when we will be able to begin. We still anticipate about a 120 day construction period.

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Dec 18 2008

3:00 p.m. Final numbers are being determined for insertion into the Agreement. Should be able to get the complete document back to Centex Friday (tomorrow) for their final approval.

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Dec 17 2008

11:55 a.m. Received a revised draft of Agreement from Centex yesterday. A couple of minor changes have been made and it will be e-mailed back to Centex for (hopefully) final approval and signatures.

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Dec 01 2008

9:27 a.m. Completed our review of the proposed agreement on Friday, and e-mailed it back to Centex. Now awaiting their response. We don\'t anticipate their response taking too long since our comments were minor in nature.

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Nov 26 2008

10:30 a.m. Received a draft of an agreement from Centex yesterday. We are working on reviewing that document and suggesting any changes we would like to see.

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Nov 19 2008

7:55 a.m.: Yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 11/8)we received an update from Centex indicating they have taken steps to expedite the Agreement process. They indicate we could possibly have a document to review next week. Other issues regarding water rights are being worked on.

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Nov 10 2008

10:10 a.m. After several unsuccessful attempts to draft an agreement acceptable to Centex, we have basically given up. None of the draft agreements we submitted were acceptable to Centex, and no suggestions as to alternative language were forthcoming from them. We have now asked them to propose and submit an agreement that is acceptable to them for our review and comment.

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Oct 28 2008

9:00 a.m. Still waiting on word from Centex that the Agreement has been approved or what further changes they want. Our contractor is ready to proceed once the Agreement is in hand and a check has been received from Centex.

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Oct 21 2008

10:45 a.m.: Draft Agreement e-mailed to Centex - they are in the process of reviewing it and are to get back with us shortly. I beleive we are close to getting a signed Agreement, followed by funding so we can begin the project.

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Oct 13 2008

11:15 a.m.: Telephone conference w/Centex this morning to discuss their comments on our proposed Agreement Amendment. Their comments are reasonable and should be easily handled. Cost estimates were provided to Centex last week. In our discussions this morning, they were agreeable to the cost. We are now in the process of making changes to the Agreement as suggested by Centex. We hope to have the re-write later this week or early next for their approval.

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Sep 25 2008

9:52 a.m.
A proposed Agreement has been sent to Centex for their comments and/or approval. We continue to receive bids for various aspects of the project. We will have received all bids by the end of September. At that time, an estimated cost of the project will be provided to Centex, and subsequent to their approval, bids will be awarded and work will be scheduled.

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Sep 16 2008

8:25 a.m. Agreements between Centex and LPWD are still being worked on. We expect to have a draft of an Agreement to present to Centex within the next couple of days. Bids received by Centex are being reviewed, and contractors who bid on the project are being contacted to see if their bids are still accurate.

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Sep 03 2008

11:15 a.m. District staff are meeting with various suppliers and contractors who will be used on the project. Legal issues and agreements to accommodate the transition between Longs Peak and Centex are being worked on.

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Aug 29 2008

At a meeting yesterday (Aug 28, 2008), the District was informed that Centex will fund the Borwn-Water Irrigation System originally planned for Liberty Ranch. The District will be responsible for managing construction of the project. Details are being worked on. Construction is expected to begin within 30 to 45 days. The project is projected to be complete and ready to deliver water to the residents of Liberty Ranch by the time irrigation season begins next spring. Weather conditions may affect the completion date.

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