Parker's Rueter-Hess Reservoir
_____________________________________________________________________________In 1981, the 285 residents of then-rural Parker CO real estate--a ranching community southeast of metropolitan Denver--formed the Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) to investigate water sources for the community. As Denver real estate developments inched towards the small community during the next 15 years, the PWSD took steps to realize long-term water solutions for new and old neighborhoods of Parker CO homes.
After years of studies and legal battles, the PWSD arrived at a solution: the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, also known as the Rueter-Hess Dam and Reservoir. It is located in the archaeologically rich basin of Newlin Gulch, a tributary of Cherry Creek 3 1/2 miles southwest of real estate in Parker.
Popular subdivisions in Parker CO, now a town of 41,500 people, include The Pinery, Pradera, Stonegate, Stroh Ranch, Villages of Parker, Deer Creek Farms, Colorado Golf Club, Challenger Park, Canterberry Crossing, Elkhorn Ranch, Cottonwood, Willow Park, and Bradbury Ranch.
The Rueter-Hess Reservoir is an off-stream reservoir which will rely on surface water from nearby Cherry Creek and Newlin Gulch, along with groundwater--alluvial groundwater or bedrock aquifer groundwater--from the Denver Basin. The new reservoir will provide everyday water needs, replenish the underground aquifer, act as a reserve for better water management during drought, and will provide recreational activities over time.
In the meantime, a team of archaeologists found prehistoric huts in the Rueter-Hess area that were used by nomadic tribes several thousand years ago. These shallow, basin-type structures are roughly 3 to 3.5 meters in diameter and are located five feet below the ground's surface. The hunter-gatherer tribes would dig the huts and cover them over with sticks and other materials for shelter.
The excavation team also found spear points used in the Middle Archaic Period (3,000-5,000 years ago) as well as fire pits, stone tools, and flakes and chips from the production of stone tools. Recovered artifacts will eventually be displayed at the Douglas County Historical Society.
The Rueter-Hess Reservoir is a major water management project for the town. Ground was broken to commence the project in December 2004 to provide water for the town for the next 50 years. In 2011, the reservoir will be filled with water. The entire project was expected to cost of over $120 million. As of 2005, it was one of only two major water-management projects in the American West.
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