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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Staff ReportBOCC (06/02/03) MB PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS REQUEST: Application for Site Approval for Construction of a new Wastewater Treatment Facility at the Rifle Gap State Park APPLICANT: Colorado Division of Parks LOCATION: The Stare Park is located at 0050 County Road 219 northeast of Rifle, Colorado. I. SUMMARY OR REQUEST Rifle Gap State park is comprised of 1,305 -acres with a large reservoir (see photo on right) northeast of the City Of Rifle in rural Garfield County. The existing recreation facilities in the park were constructed in the 1960s and are in need of repair, replacement, and expansion to handle increased visitor capacity over the years. The Colorado Division of Parks is proposing to rehabilitate and expand these facilities which would include restroom and shower facilities, RV campsites, fish cleaning station, plumbed rental cabins, and new visitors center and maintenance buildings. The proposal includes replacing the old vault toilets with a new 100% evaporative wetland wastewater treatment plant which will be lined; as a result, this will be a non -discharging system as used in several other State Parks in western Colorado. a. Projected Service Area The treatment facility would only serve specific usage in the park including recreation and administrative uses and would be domestic in nature. Specific uses in the park to be served include the following: ➢ 40 full service RV campsites including individual water / sewer connections; ➢ 10 walk-in campsites; ➢ 4 camper services buildings with toilet and shower facilities; ➢ 1 fish cleaning station; ➢ 5 plumbed rental cabins; ➢ 1 RV wastewater dump station; ➢ 43 additional RV campsites w/o utility hook-ups; ➢ 1 park maintenance building ➢ 1 group use shelter / distributed day use areas; and ➢ 1 park visitor's center. b. Wastewater Flow The proposed system is designed to handle the full build out proposed by the park which includes the uses in the list above. The system will use a combination of 4 lift stations from the various areas in the park to pump the wastewater to the treatment facility (shown in illustration below). The estimated maximum wastewater flow for the park at full capacity is 8080 gallons per day with a corresponding BOD(5) of 24.44 1 bs per day. The proposed system will be deigned for an additional 32.5% of capacity. Regarding the design flow rate, the Applicant obtained general flow rates from the Colorado Department of Health, which recommends an average daily wastewater flow of 50 gallons per unit per day (gpd) for each campsite, 75 gallons per unit per day for each cabin. SLUDGE TO SLUDGE TO MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL TREATMENT - TREATMENT PLANT I PLANT AERATION r{ -��CONSTRUCTED LAGOON EfGI0 WTAND SNVNJLAND AND TOTAL L _ EVAPCRATIVC SLUDGC TG MUNICIPAL TREATMENT PLANT c. Water and Sanitation Districts The park is not located within any water and Sanitation Districts. The nearest wastewater treatment plants are located in the City of Rifle (over 6 miles away) and at the Rifle Correctional Center (approximately 2 miles away). d. Hazards The proposed facility will be located above the 100 year flood plain of the Rifle Gap Reservoir. That proposed plant will be located approximately 13 feet above the maximum flood flow elevation for the Rifle Gap Dam. Based on historic maximum rainfall events in the area, the proposal includes a flood channel to direct peak flood flow past the treatment site without impeding its operation. e. Description of Selected Alternative The Applicant considered four alternatives for treating park generated wastewater including a 1) septic tank / absorption field system, 2) Consolidated septic / absorption field system, 3) Force Main to Rifle Correctional Center, and a 4) Force Main to the City of Rifle. E Treatment Alternative The proposal includes replacing the old vault toilets with a new 100% evaporative wetland wastewater treatment plant which will be lined; as a result, this will be a non -discharging system as used in several other State Parks in western Colorado. The proposed system is designed to handle the full build out proposed by the park which includes the uses in the list above. The system will use a combination of 4 lift stations from the various areas in the park to pump the wastewater to the treatment facility. The estimated maximum wastewater flow for the park at full capacity is 8080 gallons per day with a corresponding 1301)(5) of 24.44 lbs per day. The proposed system will be deigned for an additional 32.5% of capacity. g. Implementation Plan and Schedule The Site Plan application contains information as to the "plan and Schedule" for the improvements at the park (see page 21). The plan indicates that planning has begun and that the new Visitor Center and maintenance building construction will begin this summer (2003). They will be served by 2000 gallon septic system / leach fields, then connected to the evaporative wetland treatment system once completed. Ultimately, the plan is that the expansion of the campground and the construction of the cabins to be connected into the treatment system will begin in the spring of 2004. III. RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Rifle Gap Reservoir is located in Study Areas 2 and 3. Several of the main goals and issues within the Comprehensive Plan include that Garfield County should provide adequate recreational opportunities for County residents ensure access to public lands, consistent with BLM/ USFS policies and preserve existing recreational opportunities and important visual corridors. (Section 5) Tourism is an integral component of the economy of Garfield County. Therefore, it is essential that the planning process respect the natural environment that brings residents and visitors to the county. Section 8) Staff finds the proposed treatment facility to be a sensitive and proven method of treating wastewater based on the types of activities that occur at a Colorado State Park that serves as a valuable natural and recreational amenity to the citizens and visitors of Garfield County. III. ISSUES AND CONCERNS A. Role of the Board of County Commissioners State Statutes: C.R.S. 25 -8 -702(2)(a -c), and the "Regulations for Site Applications for Domestic Wastewater Treatment Works", defines the parameters by which the Water Quality Control Division ("Division") shall review and approve or deny a site application for a wastewater treatment works. The Division is required to determine that each site location is 1) consistent with the long range, comprehensive planning for the area in which it is to be located; 2) that the plant on the proposed site will be managed to minimize the potential adverse impacts on water quality; and 3) must encourage the consolidation of wastewater treatment works whenever feasible. The Applicant is required to obtain a recommendation of approval, denial or no comment from the Garfield County Board of Health and County Board of County Commissioners and various other local and regional agencies. Therefore, Garfield County's involvement in the process is to determine whether or not the proposed wastewater treatment work is consistent with "the long-range comprehensive planfor the area as it affects water quality and any approved regional wastewater management plan for the area ". V. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Garfield County Board of Health recommend APPROVAL of the site application for the Rifle Gap State Park Wastewater Treatment Plant.