Small wells on mountain lots are continuing to create headaches - both for the owners of the wells and the state Division of Water Resources. The issue came to a head last week, when Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte met with about 65 property owners in the Acres of Ireland subdivision near Howard, where a 1977 augmentation plan provides for replacement of water to the Arkansas River from pumping wells in the subdivision. A total of 92 properties are affected. The plan relies on a corporation that was dissolved in 2001 for compliance, and the state has found the plan may no longer be sufficient to meet the court decree that established it, Witte said. “We were stunned,” said Chip Cutler, a Salida attorney who has property in the subdivision. “We were told, ‘It’s up to you to come up with a plan,’ after 33 years of negligence by the state engineer.” After the meeting, the group was mostly at a loss about what to do, Cutler said. “Getting 92 people together is hard enough, but this is an immense challenge,” Cutler said. “The meeting ended with Witte waving his hands and walking out. There were no solutions, just a bunch of threats and ultimatums.”

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