Gunnison debates which meters to install as state seeks easement proof

Gunnison council members and irrigators spent much of the July 29 session considering how a state metering rule could apply to legacy irrigation lines and whether the city can meet an October grant/loan deadline. The mayor said the state wants proof of easements and a clear record of which lines carry city water.

Staff warned that the Sunrise Engineering map lacks easement documentation for pipes south of the river and that the state could require meters where it recognizes city ownership. "We couldn't find any easements south of or south of the river," the mayor said, summarizing staff findings. That gap creates a timing problem: the city hoped to tack additional lines onto an existing loan/grant package due by the end of October.

Council members debated options: require every residence to be metered (costly and likely not fundable), meter only those residences that have turned shares to the city, meter key residential feeders and install meters on pond outflows to capture city vs. farm usage, or pursue a formal partnership with major shareholders so the system can be managed jointly. Several irrigators and staff urged the city to seek an attorney's opinion on right-of-way questions and to collect original pipeline notes recorded when the mains were installed.

Why it matters: whether the state deems a line to be city water determines meter obligations and possible grant eligibility. With an October timetable, staff recommended compiling maps and easement evidence now, and placing meters on strategic points if full metering of ~90 residences is not fundable.