The “Greeley Model”: Utopian Dreams and Hard Lessons for One Colorado Community

This presentation will trace the hopes and dreams of the original “Union Colony” settlers as they left their humid-climate homes in the East and Midwest for the aridity, altitude, and harsh winters of Colorado’s High Plains.  By merging agricultural and municipal water uses, the town that came to be known as “Greeley” gained regional attention as an innovator of water management issues as diverse as acquisition, distribution, treatment, and as an inducement for future residents and businesses.  Water officials from as far away as central California came to Greeley to study its water system, and the Colorado River Compact Commission (1922) relied heavily upon the guidance of local water lawyer Delph Carpenter.  Subsequent efforts by the water and sewer department to upgrade and strengthen the delivery system have prepared the city of Greeley for a new generation of growth (up to 250,000 people by the year 2040).