1900 USGS topographical map
This USGS topo from 1900 depicts water from West Bartlett Gulch as flowing southerly through the town of Dayton (now Twin Lakes Village)
Slide to see the difference
The PROBLEM
In May of 2024, the AngelView development cut off water to Berrier Creek which flows through Twin Lakes Village and fills beloved Barn Pond before meandering through wetlands and draining into the upper lake.
The Barn Pond is an iconic symbol to Twin Lakes Village and a beautiful welcome to the thousands of visitors that come through each year. Even AngelView knows it - the Barn Pond, fully filled and reflecting Twin Peaks is featured on the development’s website. Besides the aesthetic beauty, Berrier Creek feeds acres of associated wetlands, supports residential well resupply and is source of a prospective Fire Mitigation Pond in the Village.
…and The GOal
We’re striving to restore water by one of the following means:
Lease Water
Purchase a Temporary Substitute Water Supply Plan (TSWSP) through the State Engineer's Office. The only likely game in town for that is Pueblo leasing 5 acres for $10k/year.
Redact West Bartlett Gulch Natural Channel Determination
Redact the Aug. 5th DWR determination that states Berrier Creek is a ditch. Lake County has senior water rights which flow down the natural channel of West Bartlett Gulch.
The Story
Maps since 1880 depict the waterway known as Berrier Creek as flowing through the Village of Twin Lakes, previously called Dayton. This historic channel is valuable on many levels to residents and tourists alike (along with aquatic lifeforms) and perhaps imperative for the continued well being of the Village.
Lake County Hwy map, 1960
Here we see the flow of West Bartlett Gulch referred to as Berrier Creek before draining into Twin Lakes.
1800 Town Plat
This Town Plat from 1880 details the flow of Berrier Creek through the Village
PRESS
The Denver Post
Water didn’t divide Twin Lakes. A developer’s greedy move alienated him and any future homeowners from the community.
Leadville Herald
DWR working on plan to temporarily restore flow to Barn Pond
DONATE
This website is a work in progress. In the days and weeks to come, a much more comprehensive timeline will feature the twists and turns of this ongoing narrative. We appreciate your interest and would be grateful for your support, be it legal, personal and/or financial. There are many nuances to the situation, but at the end of the day, we really just want our village to be safe, healthy and the one of a kind beauty of Barn Pond and the associated wetlands to be restored. Thank you
If you love the beauty of the Barn Pond, you can help us out by donating. We will use donation money for the following purposes:
If possible, purchasing a water lease from City of Pueblo to augment water to the pond.
Fees for running our website, and printing informational materials
Contact Us
If you have additional resources, want to write an article, or have general inquiries/advice/support, please contact us at savetwinlakesbarnpond@gmail.com