July 18, 2002
Photo: Beulah, Colo., fire chief, Ron Jones leans on one of the department's pumper trucks Wednesday. Jones is worried about the prospect of having to fight a fire with almost no water.
By PETER ROPER, The Pueblo Chieftain
The driest summer in memory got very personal in Beulah when residents along Pine Drive were told their household water would run out Wednesday night.
Out.
Not just restricted.
Out.
The grim news wasn't any better across the little valley. The Beulah Water Works District expects its water supply to run dry by Saturday. Squirrel Creek, Middle Creek and North Creek supply the household water for more than 320 residents in the two Beulah districts and those creeks were little more than damp ditches with a few green, scummy puddles under Wednesday's hot sun.
Beulah, like so much of the region, needs rain to refill those creeks.
"We started calling our residents this morning to tell them the (North) creek was dry," explained Gary Kyte, chairman of the Pine Drive Water District. "If they haven't got a well or some stored water, then they need to get a container and head for Pueblo because that's the closest supply."
Kyte was going into Pueblo himself to purchase a water storage tank.
Bill Hower, chairman of the Beulah district, said there is probably enough water in Middle Creek to get that district to the weekend, but no further. "The community has tried to pull together to deal with this drought, but this is the worst year I can remember," he said.
The shock of having the creeks dry up is compounded by the growing concern that without water, Beulah is almost helpless to fend off a wildfire from one of the afternoon thunderstorms that darken the mountain tops on many summer days.
"The fire danger is a real concern to us because if there's no water in our houses, there's no water in the hydrants either," Hower said.
Beulah Volunteer Fire Chief Ron Jones said the department has an emergency reserve set aside, as well as water in its seven tanker trucks. Several area residents with swimming pools have also said the fire department can reload there as well.
"But this is the worst drought I can remember and I've lived here 60 years," Jones said. "We've got some trucks prepositioned and we have mutual aid agreements with other area fire departments, but I'm concerned about not having our own water supply working."
When Beulah residents asked City Council to completely close Pueblo Mountain Park two weeks ago, there was some grumbling at City Hall that the mountain community might be overreacting. Those concerns became graphically obvious Wednesday as Beulah's water supply trickled down to its last drops and the forested mountainsides continued to bake in the sunshine.
"We get fires every year from lightning strikes and we're worried that just one little incident could turn into a catastrophe," Jones said.
Photo: A hose used to remove the mud from well water at the Pine Drive Water District treatment plant is stretched down stream in the dry bed of the North St. Charles Creek Wednesday. The plant which services much of Beulah has nearly run dry.
The reality of having to live without water has been growing among Beulah residents this summer.
As water restrictions have increased, Ben Whitfield said he began bringing 5-gallon water containers from Pueblo when he commutes home each day from his teaching job. He also learned to trap water used in showers and in sinks for other purposes, like watering the trees on his property.
"But I'm thinking about calling a (portable toilet) company rent one for my house," he said. "When it takes 5 gallons of water to flush the toilet, it makes you think about other options."
Whitfield won't be alone. Once the water stops, portable toilets may be the only answer for commercial businesses in Beulah that must have a working restroom to serve the public.
Jim Bergeman was at the Beulah General Store buying parts for reviving his deep-water well Wednesday afternoon. Bergeman has lived in the Beulah area all his life and said this drought is the worst in his memory.
"I'm bringing my well back on line so I'll have water at the house," he explained. "But it's going to be hard on those people up here who don't have that choice."
But for Bergeman, Whitfield and others, the fire danger was just as great a concern as the drought.
"People know the mountain park is closed but it concerns me that they might decide to go hiking on the trails in the (San Isabel) national forest and it's just as dry in there," said Judy Saterfield, a clerk at the store. "I wish we could close all the trails until we get some rain."
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