Agenda Date: 10/20/2026
Subject:
Title
Ketring Lake Water Management Strategies and Recommended Planning Direction
Body
From: James L. Becklenberg, City Manager Prepared by: Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities Presentations: Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this presentation is to provide City Council with a high-level update on Ketring Lake conditions, historic context, drivers of water loss, existing water supply limitations, and key findings from Wright Water Engineers. Staff is seeking Council feedback on whether to advance wetland conversion and/or lake resizing for additional planning as the most sustainable long-term direction, while removing the option of maintaining the current lake size from further consideration unless a reliable water source is identified.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty
DISCUSSION:
Ketring Lake is experiencing a long-term imbalance between water demand and reliable available supply. The lake is approximately 11.2 acres in size and has historically served as an important community, recreational, visual, and ecological amenity within Ketring Park. However, the water sources and infrastructure that previously supported the lake are no longer sufficient to maintain the lake at its current size.
Current estimates indicate that maintaining the lake and related park uses requires approximately 76 acre-feet of water per year. The primary water loss drivers are evaporation, estimated at 29.1 acre-feet per year, and seepage through the aging lake liner, estimated at 26.7 acre-feet per year. Potential irrigation-related uses account for an additional 20.3 acre-feet per year. Together, evaporation and seepage represent the majority of the annual water demand and create a recurring deficit that existing water supplies cannot reliably replace.
Arapahoe Well #1, also referred to as the Ketring Well, is currently the only source available...
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