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Glenwood Springs City Council member to represent county on water district board

John Gardner
jgardner@postindependent.com
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Dave Merritt
ALL |

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado ” Glenwood Springs City Councilman Dave Merritt was unanimously appointed as Garfield County’s representative to the Colorado River Water Conservation District at Monday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting.

“I’m very pleased to have the appointment,” Merritt said. “It represents a culmination of many years of work on the river district in the Colorado River Basin.”

Merritt, who currently works as a consultant for HDR Inc., an architectural, engineering and consulting firm, worked as a staff member for the CRWCD for 23 years and has more than 30 years of experience working in the Colorado River Basin on water-related issues.



“I’ve got very strong feelings for the river district and for western Colorado water,” he said. “Western Colorado water is a passion for me.”

Merritt replaces Dick Stephenson, who represented Garfield County for the past three years. Merritt said that the appointment was like a homecoming for him.



“I was not looking to leave the river district. I was very happy there,” Merritt said. But Merritt said the opportunity to represent western Colorado as a consultant for HDR was a good one. Now he’s looking forward to working on water issues that affect the area, such as consumptive and recreational uses, along with the CRWCD.

The CRWCD was established in 1937 and represents 15 counties in western Colorado ” Moffat, Routt, Grand, Eagle, Summit, Pitkin, Gunnison, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Ouray, Delta, and portions of Montrose, Saguache and Hinsdale ” representing about 28 percent of the state. According to the group’s website the agency was designed to represent the communities of the Colorado River Basin and its tributaries regarding issues of conservation, use and development of water resources.

Each county selects a representative that makes up the CRWCD board. Merritt will jump into the role at the first meeting of the year on today and Wednesday, Jan. 20-21, in the Colorado Room at the Hotel Colorado.

Merritt currently holds the Ward 5 seat on Glenwood City Council but is term limited and will step down after the April elections.

Contact John Gardner: 384-9114

jgardner@postindependent.com


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