Fourth Quarter, 2000
Volume 22, Issue 1
The Windmill
A Quarterly Publication of the Colorado River Municipal Water District
CRMWDCelebrates50YearsofProviding
UninterruptedWaterSupplyToDryRegion
The Colorado River Municipal Water District will celebrate 50 years of
service to West Texas with an open
house and program on Wednesday, November 15, 2000.
It was November 16, 1950, when voters in Big Spring and Odessa overwhelmingly approved issues that permitted the
District to sell bonds to finance its first
lake, well field and pipelines. The vision
of a few pioneering West Texans would
guide and nourish CRMWD into a regional water supplier. Although much of
the state experienced water rationing at
some time over the next half-century,
thanks to proper planning and execution,
one of the driest regions of the state would
not have to ration water to its municipal
customers in spite of frequent drought and
phenomenal population growth.
The District will celebrate the anniversary with an open house in its Big
Spring headquarters, located at 400 East
24th, from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-4 p.m.
on November 15. An invitation-only
program will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the
Dora Roberts Civic Center, followed by
the first viewing of a historical video and
release of the book Water In A Dry And
Thirsty Land, The First 50 Years of the
Colorado River Municipal Water District,
by Joe Pickle.
Pickle, a newspaper writer assigned,
to cover the efforts of a few visionaries
to find water for West Texas in the late
1940s, soon realized the importance of
the task and the potential of the organization they formed. When the Texas
Legislature granted state blessing to the
group, Pickle was asked to serve as the
organization’s secretary, keeping valuable records of the actions of the board
of directors as they charted a course from
water source to point of need. He held
Insidethisissue
History Book by Joe Pickle
District Directors Bring Vision
CRMWD Employees Answer Call
Snake Eats District & Federal $s
Busy Year for Financial Services
Historical Timeline
Drought & Weather Modification
Manager’s Message
2
3
4
5
5
6
11
12
the position of secretary until 1995, and,
from his “ringside seat”, he wrote a complete and interesting account of the problems and solutions of the District’s first
half-century.
The video was created from his notes
and photos, and it will be shown in the
afternoon. A “time-line” summarizing the
District’s past, is included beginning on
page 6 of this issue of The Windmill, a
publication began by Pickle in the 1970s
to keep members, customers and legislators informed of District activities.
LakeJ.B.Thomas,theE.V.SpenceReservoir,andtheO.H.IvieReservoirserveasthemajor
sourcesofsupplyfortheColoradoRiverMunicipalWaterDistrictandtheWestTexansitserves.
Book Shows People, Personalities & Events
That Shaped Colorful District History
BOOK QUOTES
“When directors of the
Colorado River Municipal Water District honored me with a
retirement party in the spring of
1995, I told them I felt like the
caddy for a professional golfer.
I didn’t make any of the strokes,
but I had a great ringside seat.
As secretary and public information officer for the District, I had
a close-up view of what I consider one of the most significant
achievements in West Texas
over the past half-century.”
JoePickle
Thus begins Joe Pickle’s inAuthorand
troduction to his book, Water In
A Dry And Thirsty Land. He reRetiredDistrictSecretary
lates how cities that had never
financed a single bond issue for $1 million found and faced a
water solution that would cost more than $10 million. As the
colorful railroad ticket agent and Big Spring Mayor George
Dabney asked, “Gentlemen, what is a drink of water worth in
hell?”, the undaunted group of pioneering West Texans focused
their energies on the staggering task.
Pickle relates the District’s history from a personal and interesting perspective. From the humble but determined J.B. Thomas,
whose vision resulted in an organization that today impacts over a
half-million West Texans, to water engineer S.W. Freese and the
directors, general managers and employees who shouldered the
formidable task, Pickle’s book shows the personalities and characters of the resourceful men who carried out this incredible story.
From humble beginnings, a small group of pioneers decided
to “row their own boat”, rejecting government funding and the
strings it brought. They developed a vast water supply and transmission system with three reservoirs on the Colorado River, four
well fields and more than 600 miles of pipeline.
Pickle minced few words, telling it as he witnessed it in the
300-page saga. The book is interesting reading, especially to
anyone interested in the history of the region. It is the story of
how the water that flows into the homes of more than a halfmillion West Texans makes it to their faucets.
“These individuals - and yes, the entire CRMWD family deserve credit for the miracle that has been wrought,” Pickle
writes. “Providing ‘water in a dry and thirsty land’ is a miracle
that has blossomed from a mere idea with a zero bank
balance...into a major public agency...and a system that, if constructed today, would cost over $720 million.”
“While we cannot conjure water, we can find a way to it,
conserve it, and perhaps even reclaim it from non-potable supplies,” he writes concerning the District’s future. “This is a
sobering and awesome challenge, but the example that has been
set will be matched by those who carry on.”
The book is the third to be published by Pickle, who was a
newpaper man and editor for over 43 years, in addition to serving the cause of West Texas water for 50 years.
Water In A Dry and Thirsty Land,
The First 50 Years of the Colorado
River Municipal Water District, was
written by Joe Pickle in collaboration with
Ross McSwain and edited by Carla Harrold.
It was published by the Colorado River Municipal Water District and a limited number of copies are available in hardback.
“We have to have water in that country or it is going to dry up. I want you to go crazy looking for it. I want you to go out to West Texas
and find me some water!” - J.B. Thomas, 1946.
“You (the new CRMWD Board) are going to decide the future of this country for the next 50 year.” George W. Dabney, Big Spring
mayor, 1949.
“I am inclined to think we shall endeavor to row our own boat in this question. We do not like to call on the federal government for
anything we can do for ourselves,” CRMWD Board President Robert T. Piner, 1950.
“We are not going to stop until we get another dam,” CRMWD General Manager E.V. Spence in 1959 at the beginning of the six year
battle to build the District’s second reservoir on the Colorado River.
“We didn’t fight...all these years to get the (state) permit just to cave in to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers!” CRMWD President John L. Taylor
in 1985, after reading the first draft of a Corps recommendation on archaeological work that directors believed would give the government a
“blank check” regarding expenditures to “mitigate damage” caused by inundating the proposed reservoir basin at Stacy, Texas.
“Looks like we got a definite maybe,” CRMWD board member Charles R. Perry, 1987, after another in a series of changing “agreements” with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the numerous other state and federal agencies
during the eight-year battle for a federal 404 permit to build it’s third dam on the Colorado River near Stacy.
“Never, never in all the years have we ever asked a member city or contract city to curtail the use of water.” CRMWD President John L.
Taylor in 1995, celebrating the completion of the Ivie Reservoir supply and transmission systems which would provide water security
for West Texas into the 21st century.
ContinuityandTeamWorkareKeytoDistrictSuccess
Robert T. Piner
First President
1949-1958
Since its inception, the Colorado River Municipal Water
District has relied on the city
councils of its member cities,
Big Spring, Odessa and Snyder,
to appoint directors to represent
them on the Water District
board. Over the years, the appointed directors, four from
each city, have shown a remarkable ability to cooperate, taking
what Joe Pickle called the “long
and unselfish view to look out
for the welfare of the region and
not just one city.”
Charles B. Perry
President 1958-1972
P.C. Harbour
President 1972-1983
Throughout its history, 49
different men have served as
directors, stepping forward to
make the difficult decisions
and see that they are carried
out. There have only been six
District presidents, and two,
Charles B. Perry who served
from 1958-1972, and Charles
R. Perry, president since 1999,
are father and son.
The current board carries on
a legacy of leadership, providing life-sustaining water for the
cities they serve.
John L. Taylor
President 1983-1995
Charles R. Perry
Current President
1999-Present
John Currie
President 1995-1999
Colorado River Municipal Water District Board of Directors, 1949-Present
BIG SPRING
Robert T. Piner
W.G. Mims
Robert L. Cook
George G. White
H.W. Wright
Willard Sullivan
Curtis Driver
R.W. Currie
Ward R. Hall
Dr. Lee O. Rogers
John L. Taylor
Jimmy Taylor
Clyde McMahon, Sr.
John Currie
Ken W. Perry
James W. Little
Wade Choate
James T. Weaver
1949-58
1949-53
1949-63
1949-55
1953-71
1955-58
1958-59
1958-74
1960-64
1964-76
1964-95
1971-73
1973-95
1974-Pr
1977-80
1980-Pr
1995-Pr
1995-Pr
ODESSA
Charles B. Perry
J.L. Rhoades
P.C. Harbour
W.E. Bruce
H.S. Samson
James R. Perry
Clyde Yarbrough
Charles R. Perry
Robert S. Searles, Jr.
Richard D. Gillham
Ed Barham
W.R. “Bro” Hill
1949-72
1949-78
1949-83
1949-67
1967-80
1972-77
1977-97
1978-Pr
1980-92
1983-Pr
1992-Pr
1997-Pr
SNYDER
R.A. Schooling
Lyle Deffebach
W. James Rosser
W.J. Ely
Forrest G. Sears
Malvern K. Stevenson
Dr. John Blum
Gene L. Dulaney
William H. Wilson, Jr
W.A. McGlaun
Rex D. Fields
Russell S. Yorgesen
Hubert W. Cargile
David Holt
Ted Crenwelge 1984-87
John A. Fagin
Rod Waller
Mickey Nunley
1951-56
1951-59
1951-58
1951-59
1956-57
1957-58
1958-81
1959-63
1959-76
1959-76
1963-84
1975-99
1976-84
1984-95
1995-Pr
1984-Pr
1987-Pr
1999-Pr
District Organization Carries Out Board Directives
In the history of the Colorado River Municipal Water District, it has had only three general managers, E.V. Spence from
1950-1965, Owen H. Ivie from 1965 to 1995, and the current
general manager, John W. Grant. The wisdom of careful selection has insured stability and continuity.
From its early days with a general
manager, assistant and about seven
clerical and maintenance employees,
the District has grown dramatically,
as have the governmental regulations
under which it must operate. Although the general manager, John
Grant, is still responsible for the overall day to day operation and administration of the District’s business, it
is no longer possible for one person
to solely manage the District. Grant
John Grant
represents the District on various
state committees and is responsible for carrying out directives
and policy established by the board of directors. Four department heads report to the General Manager under the organizational structure that has evolved to meet the District’s ever growing responsibilities.
Chris Wingert, P.E., serves as Assistant General Manager and Manager of
Engineering. In addition to his administrative duties, he is also responsible for
the network computer system and data
management, required reporting to local,
state and federal agencies, engineering,
long range drought and water conservation planning, weather modification and
planning to meet electrical deregulation
Chris Wingert, P.E.
concerns.
Want to know
more or keep up
withreservoirlevels?
Log onto our
website,
www.crmwd.org
Ralph Truszkowski, P.E., is the
Manager of Operations for the District. He is responsible for daily system operations, maintenance and facilities and equipment inventory.
Okla Thornton, who first joined
the District
as a biologist studying
the Concho
water snake,
Ralph Truszkowski, P.E.
now serves
as the Manager of Natural Resources.
He is over CRMWD recreation, wildlife management, water quality issues
and cultural resources.
Mindy Nelson is the most recent adOkla Thornton
dition to the managerial staff, joining the
District in 1999 as Manager of Administrative Services. She supervises the accounting department, personnel and payroll, financial reporting
and auditing, and is responsible for development of recommendations and administration of general and employee insurance, retirement plans and District investment plans.
The District currently has about 80
positions, with approximately 20 percent
of those in administrative, management
and clerical, and the remainder in operaMindy Nelson
tions and recreation.
District Sends “Major Rivers” to Area Schools
Major Rivers and Flo Waters are popular at elementary
school campuses in West Texas.
The fictitious characters are part of an educational curriculum unit provided by CRMWD to all fourth grade classes in the
District’s service area.
The Major and Flo, through comic books, poster, stickers
and a video, tell the students where the water they use originates and how it arrives at their homes. They learn about water
conservation and some classes from Big Spring follow up the
materials with a field trip to CRMWD and the city water treatment plant.
In the response mailer, teachers always request that the
District continue to provide the materials, and the comments
are invariably positive. “Ideas are age-appropriate”, “Excellent and useful!” and “Some said their parents were glad they
were learning about the water”, were just a few of the comments from the 1999-2000 school year.
Texas Delists Snake, USFWS Still “Modeling”
US Congress Appropriates $300,000 For More Study
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a motion to remove the Concho water snake from the state’s list of
threatened species.
The motion, which received the support of the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department (TPWD), field experts and herpetologists, was passed unanimously by the nine-member commission. It took effect in September, after publication by the TPWD
in the Texas Register, which reports the official actions of Texas
governmental officials and agencies.
The Concho water snake is still listed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
(USFWS) as a threatened species, pending
completion of a Population Viability Study
(PVA). A 1985 PVA,
based on very limited
information, resulted in
a “jeopardy” ruling by
the USFWS. That was
followed by the snake’s
original listing as a
“threatened” species. According to the USFWS, this “jeopardy” would have been caused by the construction of the O.H.
Ivie Reservoir and the District was forced to mitigate for
“threats” to the snake, at a cost of about $4 million.
In the settlement that paved the way for dam construction,
the USFWS, fearful that low river flows might threaten the subspecies’ existence, mandated that the Colorado River Municipal Water District make continuous water releases from both
the E.V. Spence Reservoir and the O.H. Ivie Reservoir. They
also required that the CRMWD hire a biologist to conduct a 10year study of the snake and its habitat.
“Our studies, as well as others conducted by Texas A&M
University, were completed in 1996,” said biologist Okla
Thornton. “What we found was a stable population in much
greater numbers than that originally forecasted in the USFWS
Biological Opinion.
“In light of the findings of the completed studies, the
CRMWD petitioned for delisting of the snake from state and
federal threatened lists, “ Thornton continued. “After several
meetings between CRMWD and state and federal authorities,
the TPWD conducted a thorough review of all the data and
decided to remove the snake from its threatened list.”
A meeting held last year with state and federal wildlife officials resulted in the decision by the USFWS to redo the PVA
on the snake using the abundant data collected by CRMWD
and Texas A&M University.
“The USFWS did not agree with the state, and instead
sought to have the new data used in an updated PVA model,”
Thornton said. “Congress appropriated an additional $300,000
so the USFWS could complete the new PVA model and incorporate all new data from the Concho water snake studies.”
Thornton said another meeting is scheduled with the
USFWS in November, 2000, and that the timetable for completion of the PVA is September 30, 2001.
Financial Services Department Busy
Colorado River Municipal Water District staff spent a
busy year reviewing and updating contracts to redefine the water
use period, and reorganizing the accounting system under upgraded computer software.
In April, the board voted to redefine the water use period in District contracts as July 1 to June 30. Usage is one
element in the calculation of water rates for the next year, and
in the past, water rates were based on the twelve month period ending each September 30. In 1995, the District changed
it’s fiscal year to coincide with that of the cities it serves. By
changing the water use period, the District can now provide
city staffs with actual rates to use during their city budget
preparation instead of receiving them after their budgets are
approved.
While the idea was simple to state, execution was more
complex. The change affected not only contracts with the municipalities, but most of the District’s industrial water supply
contracts as well, since those are based on municipal water rates.
The majority of CRMWD’s contracts had to be checked, changed,
rewritten and signed by all parties to incorporate the changes.
In addition, the board voted to upgrade the District’s accounting software. According to General Manager John Grant, the District had simply outgrown the account numbering system, and it
was time to upgrade the software to current industry standards.
“As the District grew from its first reservoir and pipeline
projects, with three member cities, through the addition of two
more reservoirs with customer cities participating in those projects,
the accounting has become more complex,” Grant said. “The software upgrade was an appropriate time to redesign the account
numbering system.”
“We have gone to a ‘matrix’ account system for all expenses
that allows us to input the numbers, and then be able to extract a
variety of reports,” Grant explained. “The new structure will give
us greater flexibility. For example, we can do a report on a single
project, or we can report on the contribution of a city partner to all
the District projects. Having the ability to isolate or accumulate
financial data within the system gives us a better tool for analysis
and makes it easier to be financially accountable.
“Once we have fine-tuned the numbering system as we
implement it over the next few month, the budget process should
be easier, and the system can grow with the District,” Grant
said.
History In Review: T
December 1, 1945 - J.B. Thomas of Texas
Electric Service Company (TESCO) initiates correspondence with Texas Board of
Water Engineers member E.V. Spence regarding water supply for West Texas.
February 7, 1946 - Thomas sends Spence
and engineer Simon W. Freese on a quest
to “go crazy looking”, but find water in West
Texas.
June 20, 1946 - At Thomas’ invitation, representatives of Odessa, Midland, Big
Spring, Snyder and Colorado City meet at
the Settles Hotel in Big Spring to hear Thomas and Freese lay out the water solution.
They propose a reservoir on the Colorado
River near Colorado City, and pipelines to
the cities, with a staggering $11 million
pricetag. As a result, the five-city Colorado River Municipal Water Association is
formed that day.
October 14, 1948 - Freese presents his final recommendation, for a new site 20 miles
upstream that will produce better water.
Snyder has already withdrawn, and now
Colorado City, opposing the relocation and
looking to the possibility of TESCO building a dam and lake on Morgan Creek, leaves
the Association.
February 22, 1949 - The Association is
further shaken when Midland withdraws,
but Odessa and Big Spring remain committed to proceed with the project.
March 11, 1949 - Two bills (one to create
the Colorado River Municipal Water District contingent upon voter approval in the
cities, and another to authorize it to contract with member cities) are introduced at
the deadline, on the final submission day
for the 1949 Texas Legislative Session.
May 31, 1949 - In the final moments of the
last day of the session, both bills pass the
Governor Jester (center) Signs District Bill
Texas Legislature. Similar acts, which
would pass the Legislature in subsequent
years would not be as strong, and lacked
provisions vital to the development of the
District.
June 8, 1949 - Governor Beauford Jester
signs the bills into law, 39 days before his
untimely death.
June 9, 1949 - The CRMWA reorganizes
with only two cities, and asks the two city
councils to petition the state for simultaneous confirmation elections in July.
July 12, 1949 - Big Spring voters approve
the proposed water district 522-31, and
Odessa voters approve by a margin of 36516. Both city councils proceed with appointment of directors to represent them on
the board.
August 15, 1949 - Big Spring Mayor
George W. Dabney serves as honorary
chairman for the first board meeting of the
Colorado River Municipal Water District.
R.T. Piner is elected as the first CRMWD
president.
October 27, 1950 - The board passes resolutions to contract with bond attorneys, the
engineering firm of Freese and Nichols and
other steps necessary to amend and execute
its permit for a reservoir on the Colorado
River. They also authorize the purchase of
water rights for a well field in Martin
County, and call for elections in Big Spring
and Odessa to ratify the city contracts, in
effect, asking for voter ratification of the
bond issues.
November 16, 1950 - Few, if any issues of
this magnitude have ever been approved by
such a margin. In Big Spring, the issue is
ratified 941-1, and in Odessa, 1044-1.
These votes, in effect, give the District authority and financial means to finance its
massive mission.
December 8 1950 - Eugene Vierling
Spence is asked to serve as CRMWD General Manager.
January 27, 1951 - An election is held in
Snyder after a group of businessmen and
officials successfully petition the District
for annexation. Snyder voters approve
membership 432-25, and approve the water contract with the District 401-24.
February 7, 1951 - Bids are taken on the
dam and pipelines.
March 3, 1951 - The Texas Board of Wa-
ter Engineers issues an order creating the
Martin County Underground Water Control
District, an organization of individuals who
wanted to stop or restrict CRMWD’s development of the Martin County well field.
This marks the beginning of a costly battle
over rights to and regulation of the groundwater.
March 8, 1951 - E.V. Spence delivers the
signed bonds to First National Bank of Fort
Worth and receives the check for
$11,750,000. Within days, agreement is
J.B. Thomas Speaks To Groundbreaking Crowd
reached for purchase of the basin land.
Heavy equipment is moved in and work
begins.
April 29, 1951 - A large crowd of West
Texans gather for groundbreaking ceremonies at the lake site. The crowd is amazed
by details of the District’s activities as it is
simultaneously building a dam, lake, the
Martin County well field, and pipelines to
carry the water to member cities where rationing is imminent.
May 29, 1951 - Scurry Area Canyon Reef
Operators Committee (SACROC) is the
first of many oil producers to request a
water contract with CRMWD. The first
delivery of water under the resulting contract is January 1, 1954. For years, revenues from the sale of fresh and brine
water to oil and industrial customers have
helped the District provide lower rates to
its municipal customers.
March 19, 1952 - CRMWD signs its first
contract to supply water to oil companies.
Revenue from such sources will make it
possible for the District to keep municipal
water prices down. Only twice in 50 years,
in spite of numerous droughts and rationing in much of the state, will the District
be forced to curtail water deliveries to the
oil producers. In over 50 years, CRMWD
imeline Traces
Tractor Powers First “Pump-Back” Water To Snyder
will never ration municipal customers.
May 8, 1952 - The District’s first dam on
the Colorado River is closed, as Big
Spring, Odessa and Snyder face critical
water shortages.
May 11, 1952 - Over his humble objections, the board and friends convince J.B.
Thomas to allow CRMWD to name the
new lake in his honor. At the May 11th
meeting, directors vote to name the new
reservoir Lake J.B. Thomas, in honor of
the man whose foresight and faith resulted
in the conception and initiation of the entire District project.
June 6, 1952 - The first CRMWD water
arrives from Martin County, trickling out
of the pipeline at Odessa, with sustained
flow the next day and a citywide celebration on June 10th.
August 13, 1952 - Martin County water
bubbled into Big Spring, where, by city ordinance, water rationing had officially begun in early July.
September 5, 1952 - Even the disapproval
and legal objections of some Martin
County residents who fear depletion of the
aquifer cannot dim the spirits of Big Spring
residents as they celebrate the arrival of
life-sustaining water in a ceremony at Steer
Stadium.
January 21, 1953 - After its initial success in court and sustaining of the judgement on its first appeal, the CRMWD loses
to the MCUWCD before the Texas Supreme Court. The issue becomes moot,
however, as opposition to CRMWD
crumbles when Martin County residents
become fearful of over-regulation and the
issue subsides. CRMWD continues to
pump the Martin County well field, ever
careful to conserve the resource.
Late Spring, 1953 - Although the Lake J.B.
Thomas dam has been closed, the lake is
virtually dry. Snyder has completed its water treatment plant, but has no water to treat.
A borrow area near the dam catches a few
thousand acre-feet of water, and District
employees, determined to get water to
drought-parched Snyder, come up with an
ingenious idea they call “pump-back”. By
raising a cofferdam around the intake and
pumping water from the borrow area to the
pool around the intake, they are able to submerge the pumps and begin moving water
to Snyder. This means of wringing water
from a virtually dry lake will be used again
and again as West Texas faces recurring
drought cycles.
July 2, 1953 - The pump-back is successful, and the first lake water finally reaches
Snyder.
July 9, 1953 - Snyder celebrates the arrival
of water. After just more than two years of
frantic work, all three District member cities are taking water, and, they have not had
to ration water since that time.
August 8, 1956 - CRMWD files its first
presentation to study the possibility of a
second dam on the Colorado River, this one
in southern Mitchell County.
June 11, 1959 - CRMWD files for a permit to impound its second lake, to be located in Mitchell County.
December 6, 1960 - Board members learn
that gypsum deposits under the proposed
reservoir site (which could cause the reser-
Weather Mod Plane Skirts Storms, Seeding Clouds
voir to fail) would necessitate moving the
lake. Water quality is also questioned at
the original site.
Fall, 1963 - The District begins to experiment with recharging the Martin County
Well Field when surface water is plentiful,
protecting it from evaporation and recov-
Di
ering the water from wells further down the
gradient when it is needed.
July 17, 1964 - CRMWD submits an
amended application to construct the reservoir near Robert Lee.
December, 1964 - The CRMWD permit is
opposed by the Lower Colorado River Authority and Mitchell County residents in its
hearing before the Texas Water Commission. General Manager Spence is subjected
to hours of questioning and becomes ill.
April 4, 1965 General Manager
E.V. Spence, who
had devoted 14
years to the District and most of
his professional
career to water
development in
the state of Texas,
E.V. Spence Dedicated
dies.
Life to Texas Water
April 22, 1965 Owen H. Ivie is chosen to succeed
Spence as general manager.
September 1, 1965 - Long negotiations
culminate with an agreement to release
stored water dependent on the level of the
Highland Lakes, and a $400,000 payment
to the Lower Colorado River Authority to
end the LCRA opposition to the Robert Lee
permit. The Texas Water Commission issues the permit the same day.
September, 1966 - CRMWD issues $30
million in bonds intended to finance the
dam, lake and extensive diversion works to
control chloride problems in the drainage
area of the lake. Another $4.5 million in
bond issued will prove necessary to complete the project.
April 10, 1969 - The board of directors
votes to name the new reservoir in honor
of its first general manager, E.V. Spence.
June 4, 1969 - The E.V. Spence Reservoir is dedicated.
January 27, 1970 - Pump-back is revisited for the second of many times as drought
keeps the new reservoir from filling and
Lake J.B. Thomas sinks dangerously low.
The first stage of a three-stage pump-back
begins at the E.V. Spence Reservoir, where
water is far below the intake. A three-stage
pump-back will also be implemented at
Lake Thomas before rains and drought re-
lief bring in the summer of 1971. For the
first time, the District is forced to cut back
deliveries to oil companies to protect municipal supplies.
April 10, 1970 - Midland comes on line as
a CRMWD municipal customer.
June, 1970 - CRMWD announces it will
accept bids to drill brine wells in the Santa
Rosa Formation to supply brackish water
(instead of lake water needed for municipal supplies) to be used for oil repressuring
operations.
October, 1970 - The CRMWD board authorizes the general manager to begin a
weather modification program in the spring
of 1971. At the end of the 20th century, it
would be the longest continuously operating weather modification program in the
United States.
December 9, 1970 - $6.75 million in
bonds is authorized for development of 17
wells and 45 miles of pipeline to bring
much needed Ward County well field water on line. Dubbed the “Five Months’
Miracle”, the field and pipeline are completed May 24, 1971.
September 1, 1971 - Oil companies are
restored to 100% of their needs, and
pump-backs are halted when rain and
welcome runoff replenishes both District
lakes.
July 14, 1974 - Directors celebrate the retirement of the $11.75 million first bond
issue with a bond burning.
Summer, 1976 - The long-range planning
committee is reactivated to study the need
for, and possible location of the District’s
third reservoir on the Colorado.
July 1, 1977 - Drought…..again. The District begins the longest pump-back in its
history, lasting more than three years at Lake
Thomas. Working in mud-bogged lake bottoms, clearing brush and vegetation from
lake basins and the Colorado River channel and breaking ice around the shallow intake pools were a few of the weather-re-
Pump-Back, Effective Drought Tool, Is Used Often
lated problems faced by District employees.
For the second time, District finances are
squeezed by reduced water sales to oil companies, but the problem is compounded by
additional operational costs from rising electric rates and increased usage of electricity
for the pump-back. It is the last time in the
century that CRMWD cannot meet oil and
industrial water demands, but it will not be
the last pump-back.
October 11, 1977 - The board votes to apply for a permit to build a dam near the community of Stacy, and representatives fly to
Austin to file the application with the Texas
Department of Water Resources. Simon
Freese and the Freese and Nichols engineering firm will design the proposed dam, as
with both earlier District dams, and their
input will be vital to the permit process as
well as the dam design.
February, 1978 - The Stacy application is
accepted for placement on the Texas Water
Commission docket, but due to opposition and
delays, hearings do not begin until July 11th.
Several downstream groups oppose the permit, led by the powerful Lower Colorado
River Authority, holder of the permits for the
Highland Lakes near Austin.
July 11, 1978 - General Manager Owen Ivie
is first witness in the TWC hearing that will
break all records for longevity (50 days of
testimony), number of exhibits (over 200)
and cost.
April 10, 1979 - The TWC approves Permit 3866, for construction of a dam near
Stacy. But, CRMWD has won only the first
battle in what will be an eight-year struggle
to obtain the state permit for the muchneeded reservoir.
July 26, 1979 - After its request for a rehearing is denied by the TWC, the LCRA
appeals to the 53rd District Court in Austin.
Negotiations between the CRMWD and
LCRA continue in an attempt to reach an
out-of-court settlement.
January 31, 1980 - Judge Herman Jones
hears arguments on the appeal and upholds
the TWC ruling on February 5. LCRA appeals his decision, and out-of-court negotiations continue.
March 31, 1980 - While the state permit
battle continues, the first U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers hearing is conducted in
Coleman for CRMWD’s “404 Permit”, a
new federal requirement under legislation
passed since construction of the E.V. Spence
Reservoir. Numerous federal and state
agencies are involved as land and wildlife
Agencies, Arrowheads And Snakes Delay Reservoir
mitigation, preservation of sites of cultural
(Indian) and historical significance and a
little-known water snake pose costly barriers to construction of the reservoir.
November 19, 1980 - The 3rd Court of Civil
Appeals in Austin hears the state permit
appeal, as CRMWD continues to attempt
negotiations with LCRA.
June 30, 1982 - In a 3-2 decision, the 3rd
Court of Appeals upholds the lower court,
but on October 1, the LCRA appeals again,
this time to the Texas Supreme Court. Negotiations fail, and CRMWD soon begins
to consider involving itself in water permit
adjudication hearings in hopes of furthering its position that unused water is being
wasted into the Gulf of Mexico.
September 7, 1983 - The State Supreme
Court agrees to hear the case on two of the
alleged “points of error”. It will be more
than a year before the court rules on the
arguments.
May, 1984 - Negotiations with state and
federal agencies concerning the 404 permit continue, and estimates are growing
as to the final cost. It is already more that
$6 million.
November 14, 1984 - Directors are in New
York City to close the $8,275,000 bond issue to purchase additional groundwater reserves and fund construction of the Beals
Creek water quality enhancement project
when they receive word that the Texas Supreme Court has ruled against the District
in the Stacy matter. As a result of post-opinion briefs, the Supreme Court decides, on
January 9, 1985, to remand the matter to
the Texas Water Commission for rehearing. Negotiations continue in what has become a highly visible battle, with state legislators and the governor applying pressure
on LCRA and CRMWD to settle the mat-
ter. Unknown to the CRMWD, the Corps
of Engineers pulls the 404 permit from consideration based on the November 14 Supreme Court ruling.
February 26, 1985 - Following final negotiations at 5 p.m. the day before, the
CRMWD board approves a settlement with
the LCRA, and officials fly to Austin for a
joint announcement of the accord. With
LCRA out of the picture, the remaining
opposition is minimal.
April 23, 1985 - Although a few delays
have occurred, the state permit for the dam
and reservoir near Stacy is finally approved
in the rehearing, and the permit is issued
May 14, 1985, once the period for appeals
has passed. CRMWD General Manager
Ivie has to fight to get the Corps of Engineers to reinstate the District’s application
for a 404 permit with its former priority,
and even so, no one knows how much
longer the process will take. Meanwhile,
Midland, Abilene and San Angelo have
each asked for 15,000 acre-feet of the reservoir, meaning the District will only have
to finance 50.38% of the project.
February, 1986 - After frustrating delays,
CRMWD petitions for a public hearing on
the Concho water snake, one of the 404 permit obstacles. The hearing is held in
Ballinger on April 3. The snake has become a national issue. Senators and Congressmen have begun pressuring the Corps
to grant the permit, as environmental groups
gather in opposition. (Later studies will
show the snake population to be significantly larger than early estimates on which
most of the opposition was based.)
May, 1986 - Too much rain? Natural Dam
Lake, filled to never-seen heights by heavy,
isolated rainfall, threatens to break the dam
and inundate Big Spring with water from
one of the saltiest lakes in the world. As
boils appear on the back of the dam,
CRMWD steps in to reinforce the dam and
build a temporary spillway to release
enough water to preserve the dam. The releases prevent a major breach, but flood
Jones Valley, a small area on the northwest
side of Big Spring. A year is spent attempting cooperation between the city and county
to fully resolve the problem. Resumption
of unseasonable rains in May 1987, will
later damage the spillway and again flood
Jones Valley. Without the promised assistance from the city or county, CRMWD directors vote to step in and spend $2.2 million reinforcing Natural Dam and building
a more adequate spillway. The salty water,
which had to be released to prevent catastrophic failure of the Dam, flows downstream to the E.V. Spence Reservoir, causing serious water quality problems there for
the rest of the century, as drought in the
1990s will slow the reservoir’s recovery.
March, 1987 - After years of opposition,
red tape, and at a final cost of over $10
million, the CRMWD learns that, following a 30-day waiting period, it is finally
about to receive the elusive 404 permit to
construct the reservoir at Stacy. The permit is dated April 8, 1987.
Elusive And Expensive: 404 Permit A Reality At Last
March 6, 1987 - In anticipation of receipt
of the 404 permit, CRMWD opens bids for
construction of the dam. Low-bidder
Brown & Root receives the contract for the
dam and basin construction based on a bid
of just under $32 million, as well as the
contract to build the intake station at a cost
of almost $3.2 million.
May 16, 1987 - Torrential rain around
Ballinger forces the scheduled Stacy
groundbreaking ceremonies from the actual
site to the Ballinger High School campus.
December 7, 1989 - The board of directors
vote to name the new reservoir in honor of
General Manager Owen H. Ivie, whose
dogged persistence played a key role in the
project. They vote to name the dam for
Simon W. Freese, the man whose engineering skills and personal dedication were integral to the permit acquisition and design
of all three District dams.
March 15, 1990 - All phases of the massive
construction project are finally complete, the
culmination of over 12 years of work.
May 19, 1990 - Formal dedication ceremonies are held for the S.W. Freese Dam and
O.H. Ivie Reservoir. It fills much sooner
than expected, in early June, 1992.
August 6, 1991 - Although the intake station had been built “in the dry” before the
dam was closed, a massive pipeline con-
struction project of unprecedented scale will
have to be built to move the water west to
Midland, San Angelo and the District,
where it will be needed. The District sells
$115 million in revenue bonds and begins
right-of-way purchases.
April 16, 1992 - The bid for actual pipeline construction is awarded to John D.
Stephens. A central control station is
added to the plans, and the District will
issue $9 million more in bonds, bringing
the total to $124 million for construction
of the pipeline, pump stations, storage facilities, electric substations and transmission lines as well as right-of-way, engineering and interest.
August 20, 1992 - With final preparation
complete, the first joint of pipe is laid.
Stephens had designed and contracted for
construction of two massive trenchers that,
barring solid rock, could chew out a trench
eight feet wide and almost twelve feet deep
in a single pass. The pipeline will be 60
inches in diameter for the 47.9 miles from
the reservoir to San Angelo, and 53 inches
in diameter for the remaining 109 miles.
Solid rock does slow progress temporarily,
but Stephens leap-frogs the trenchers and
lays as much as 4300 feet (about 8/10 of a
mile) of pipe in a single day.
Ivie Line is Largest State Pipeline Project
September 27, 1994 - Spectators watch as
the final joint, number 29,543, is set in place
during completion ceremonies at the construction site of the terminal storage facility between Midland and Odessa. Stephens
has made good on his promises of both time
and finances, even though his bid was $6
million less than his nearest competitor.
Amazingly, the largest single pipeline contract (for both cost and distance) ever
signed in the state has been completed with
a project overrun of only 0.14 of 1 percent.
March 10, 1995 - Water security into the
21st century is celebrated at a ceremony
dedicating the completed Ivie Transmission
System. The pipeline has the daily capacity to move 90 million gallons to San Angelo,
and of that, 65 million gallons on to Midland-Odessa, a
distance of 157
miles with a
1400-foot vertical lift.
September 30,
1995 - Owen H.
Ivie, employee of
the District
since1953 and
Owen H. Ivie Retires. His
general manager
Determination And Persistence
since 1965, retires.
Left Mark On Future.
October 1, 1995 John W. Grant becomes the District’s third
general manager in the midst of a drought,
which began in 1992 and will last beyond
the end of the decade. As for the last 45
years, the District perseveres through pumpbacks and searches for every potential
source of water to serve a region whose
population continues to grow.
February 14, 1996 - The John L. Taylor
Central Control Center is dedicated in honor
of the former board member who served as
director for 31 years, and president from
1983-1995.
Board, Computers Monitor and Command System
April 22, 1996 - With little rainfall or runoff since the fall of 1992, water levels
sink at Lake J.B. Thomas, and District
employees begin the first in a series of
pump-backs that will be necessary
through the decade. Limited rainfall replenishes the lake sufficiently to stop this
round of pump-backs on June 11, 1997.
April 1, 1998 - An agreement is signed with
the Lower Colorado River Authority terminating water releases spelled out in the 1965
permit for the Spence Reservoir, and the
1985 permit that paved the way for construction of the O.H. Ivie Reservoir.
April 24, 1998 - The old coffer dam in
Lake J.B. Thomas is rebuilt around the
Snyder intake as lake levels drop due to
continued drought. Pump-back will con-
tinue until June 14, 1999.
June 15, 1998 - CRMWD petitions the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and
the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
(TPWD) to remove the Concho water snake
from their lists of “threatened species”.
Most experts agree the original population
viability model, when analyzed using the
more complete data from over 10 years of
study, would provide ample reason for
delisting the snake.
November 13, 1998 - In past decades, with
the high chlorides in the E.V. Spence Reservoir, Lake J.B. Thomas was the only real
source for blending water to bring municipal water quality to acceptable levels. Now,
thanks to the addition of the Ivie transmission system, CRMWD has new ways to
meet water challenges. Pump-back takes
on a whole new meaning for the District as
water can now be pumped between the system reservoirs. The District begins pumping water from the O.H. Ivie Reservoir to
Lake Thomas to keep the eastern end of
the District supplied. This arrangement will
continue until March 5, 1999.
November 13, 1998 - Based on the April
agreement with the LCRA, the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission
passes unopposed revisions to the 1965
permit for the E.V. Spence and the 1985
permit for the O.H. Ivie Reservoirs. Water
releases, triggered by levels in the Highland Lakes, were required as part of the
original reservoir permits. Those releases
were terminated in the 1998 revised permits, so vital surface water that originates
in West Texas can now be retained, instead
of being released down the river channel.
March 6, 1999 - As part of the plan to
boost Lake Thomas levels above the intake
with blended water for consistent quality
throughout the system, CRMWD operators
begin pumping water from the E.V. Spence
Reservoir to Lake Thomas. This continues
until May 2, 1999.
June 14, 1999 - Early June rains bring much
needed relief on several fronts. Lake Thomas gains 17 feet in elevation, and once
more, the Snyder intake is submerged without pumping water over the cofferdam from
low areas of the lake.
August 2, 1999 - In spite of the support of
most field experts and herpetologists, the
USFWS denies the CRMWD petition stating “insufficient data”. They later request
and receive from Congress an appropriation of $300,000 to develop a new population viability model.
January 1, 2000 - As the District enters the
21st century, it has more than 600 miles of
pipeline, 23 pump stations and four well fields
in operation across 15 counties of West Texas.
The District’s service area includes all or part
of 34 counties, and efforts continue to maintain and expand the massive system that provides necessary water to a dry region.
March 2, 2000 - With levels at the E.V.
Spence Reservoir dropping, the District has
prepared for another pump-back operation
there, the first since 1970. As the intake
pumps begin to draw air, pump-back begins.
March 24, 2000 - Only 3 weeks after the
Spence pump-back began, it is no longer necessary. The reservoir catches over 50,000
acre feet of water and rises about 12 feet from
rainfall received over a 7-day period.
August 31, 2000 - TPWD, in an uncontested ruling, removes the Concho water
snake from the state threatened species list.
The action will become final in September
upon publication in the Texas Register.
Docks Sit Dry - The Cycle of Facing and Overcoming Recurring Drought Has Shaped the District’s History
Drought: Story of the Decade
One of the driving forces that led to
the formation of the Colorado River Municipal Water District was the drought of
the 1950s, and we are, today, in a drought
of similar proportions, according to General Manager John Grant.
“This drought started in the fall of 1992,
and the difference today versus where District founders were 50 years ago, is the flexibility of our system,” Grant said. “With its
three reservoirs, four well fields and 450
miles of raw water transmission lines, we
have better options for dealing with a
drought.
“As we near the end of October, Lake
Thomas is about 12.5% full, Spence is just
under 17%, and Ivie is about 51% full. It
would be frightening if we depended on a
single reservoir. But, because they are
spread across a larger region, we take advantage of rainfall over a much larger area,”
Grant said, “and, we have the transmission
system to move that water where it is
needed.
“We have revisited some things the
District did in early years like using pumpbacks to get water to the pump station in-
takes at Lake Thomas and the E.V. Spence
Reservoir, but we have also done some unusual things no one would have imagined,”
Grant said. “We took pump-back a step
further, and pumped water between reservoirs. We took water from the Ivie Reservoir to Midland-Odessa, then sent it backwards through the District’s first pipeline
system to Lake Thomas to keep the Snyder
intake under water.
“That is how we have been able to get
through this drought without rationing water to our municipalities,” Grant asserted.
“Certainly a lot of thought has been put into
each facility the District has built to insure
it is as flexible as possible in moving and
storing water. Then, you don’t know what
you can really do until your back is against
the wall and you put it to the test.”
“It is evident that the reason we are getting through the drought today is because
the District planned for it,” Grant said. “The
last thing the District can afford to do now
is to sit back and think we have it made.”
“We are continuing to look for new
supplies, to improve delivery capabilities
and to consider supplemental elements like
weather modification and technological advancements in desalinization/demineralization that could economically render good
water from sources considered unpotable
today.” Grant added.
In addition, he says factors such as the
rising cost of power and deregulation of the
electric industry pose obstacles to the
District’s mission of providing affordable
water. “With power already almost 60 percent or more of our operating budget, it is
by far the largest single item, excluding debt
service, that determines the cost of water.
“Another impact of the drought has
been on water quality,” Grant noted. “The
District has put in over 150 miles of pipeline and storage reservoirs in our diverted
water system, but the continued drought has
reduced its impact. When we do finally
get rain to fill our municipal reservoirs, we
are ready for it with better controls for surface contaminates.
“As far as the future is concerned, we
have one undeveloped well field, and we
will continue to look for additional groundwater,” Grant said. “There is no one silver
bullet that is the answer to all our challenges. How bad will this drought be and
when will it end? We won’t know until it is
over, but I believe we will weather it.”
Cloud Seeding Opportunities Down for 2000 Program
CRMWD had flown only twenty weather modification missions as of October 22, and although the number is below average,
District Meteorologist Ray Jones says it is typical for the program
during drought years.
“You have to have the proper cloud formations to seed,” Jones
explained, “and during drought, we just don’t have as many of those.”
Jones says the purpose of weather modification is not to “break
a drought”, but rather to increase rainfall and runoff into District
lakes in both low and normal rainfall years, increasing water reserves.
“Our weather mod season runs from April through October,” Jones said. “Although we have some storms in March, as we
did this year, we would usually be warned away because of the
severity of the storms and the danger to our pilot.
“We had a hot, dry May this year, with only two episodes of
seedable clouds. June was about the best month we had, with some
general storms and we did seed those with good results. In July,
there weren’t many cloud cells, and then we had one of driest
stretches we have had in the history of the program.
“From August 6 to September 23 we had no clouds to seed,”
Jones said. “This was one of the driest Septembers on record for
us, all part of a pattern for the eight-year drought we are seeing.”
Jones says May is typically the wettest month for West Texas,
and September is our second wettest month, but not this year.
Jones said weather may be conducive to more missions
during the week of October 23, as the season draws to a close.
“It looks like we will have a wet October, but I don’t expect it to
break the drought. And, even though the prediction is for winter
to have normal or above average rainfall, the amount we normally receive in the winter months is so low that a 100 percent
increase in a winter month’s rainfall would not represent more
than a half-inch of precipitation.
“I believe that drought usually ‘ends’ because you have a
wet spring and summer. And, even though the La Nina we
have seen is gone, it is difficult to say that the absence of an El
Nino or La Nina will cause the drought to end,” Jones said.
“The biggest thunderstorms in the world occur throughout
the high plains, Oklahoma and our region. I hope we return to a
normal weather pattern come spring, and we have our typical
big storms. Then, weather modification and seeding are really
useful. We pull moisture out of those systems, inducing rain that
would otherwise remain in the clouds to fall while the systems
are over our runoff area. A weather pattern that gives us a 50
percent increase over normal spring and summer precipitation is
something that could end the drought.”
Colorado River
Municipal Water District
P.O. Box 869
Big Spring, Texas 79721-0869
AMessagefromthe
GeneralManager...
The District has faced many challenges in its first half-century. Its history and accomplishments are truly remarkable, and
on November 15, we will commemorate the milestone and recognize the pioneers without whose vision, planning and action
none of this would have been possible. All West Texans owe a
debt of gratitude each time they turn on the faucet.
But, long after the day is over, the best way we can honor
those pioneers is with our continued diligence to anticipate the
needs of the region we serve and keep the District in a strong
position to meet those needs. The board and the District’s staff
are committed to that purpose.
First, we must maintain what we have. With three major
reservoirs on the Colorado River, four well fields and a system
of pipelines, pumps and water storage facilities stretching across
a large region, we must improve, upgrade and sometimes replace segments of the system to insure its reliability. We must
be proactive, not reactive, in order to continue to provide a stable
water supply to our service area. We have to keep abreast of
issues that can impact the cost of getting the water to the cities,
such as deregulation of the electric industry. With pumping
power costs already approaching 60 percent of our operating
budget, we must be ready to analyze the relative cost of system
improvements like increased water storage against the cost of
doing “business as usual”.
We must continue to look for new sources of supply as
population in our region grows. We must continue, as we have
historically, to look for surface and groundwater supplies. We
also need to look to technologies that can enhance those supplies, whether it be through enhanced rainfall by weather modification or water treatment technologies that can economically
remove the chlorides from unpotable water which our region
has in abundance.
With each passing decade, the District has grown and the
environment in which it operates has become more complex.
The recurring challenges of drought and population growth are
complicated by other factors. For example, the oil and gas industry provides revenue to the District and economic prosperity for our region. Yet, improperly managed, it can threaten the
quality of our water supply. Some degree of government oversight is necessary to insure our waters are not polluted, yet too
much can result in a tangled mass of regulations that prevent
progress.
Just as the original city directors learned to put aside city
politics and look at issues from the standpoint of what is best
for the entire region, the District and water authorities across
the state have had to learn to develop supplies for their own
needs while cooperating for the good of the state. As population grows within our region and across the state, so will the
challenges.
Under the direction and oversight of the board, CRMWD
has developed an excellent financial base and a well-equipped
and well-trained workforce. It is staggering to realize that 12
board members and about 80 employees provide water to about
a half-million people scattered across a 34-county region of West
Texas.
The current CRMWD board of directors is a diverse group of
men who continue to provide visionary leadership to the District.
In spite of busy professional schedules, they donate long, often
unappreciated hours without compensation, and demonstrate, by
their tireless efforts, that they believe in the mission of this organization. Their skills and areas of expertise are as diverse as their
personalities. I am confident that under their leadership, CRMWD’s
future will be as vital and as impressive as its history.