About The Book
Small mountain valleys are wonderful places to live or recreate; yet few consider the source of their drinking water. The Greater Pole Creek Basin is typical of many of these mountain gems. An hour and a half west of Denver, Colorado, and a world away, Pole Creek has recently experienced increased population and tourism. Virtually all water for new residences and commercial interests is supplied by groundwater pumped from the Troublesome Aquifer, which has not been studied in detail. This report reviews and interprets available data to provide a summary of the hydrogeological setting, explains how much water is generally available and why it is often difficult to extract, presents information about groundwater wells and how they are commonly constructed, and provides information about water quality of this sole-source resource. Forecasts of future water use and water availability are presented along with recommendations for further study.