Cherry Creek Project

Introduction

The Cherry Creek Project is an innovative approach to providing a high quality, reliable, sustainable, affordable and environmentally benign source of new water to meet the growing needs of a dynamic sub-region of the Denver Metropolitan Area.

The Project supports smart growth in northern Douglas County through the phased development of both surface water in Cherry Creek and groundwater in the underground reservoir known as the Denver Basin. The Project’s right to use and develop these resources on a conjunctive basis has been recognized in decrees issued by the Colorado Water Court.

After a decade of development, Western Water Company transferred ownership of the Project to the Cherry Creek Project Water Authority. The Authority is a newly-created intergovernmental agency comprised of four local water purveyors in the Project's natural srvice area. The Project will:

• Make flexible and reliable deliveries to serve incremental consumer demand,
• Serve as a back-up or emergency resource in periods of prolonged drought,
• Help local water districts maintain orderly, planned development during protracted periods that may be required during development of new surface water resources and the infrastructure necessary for their use, and
• Provide a conjunctive resource to supplement other regional resources and augment new storage, conveyance and distribution facilities that need to be developed in Douglas County.