The Mancos Water Conservancy District is getting the Jackson Gulch Reservoir ready to fill and release water.

That should happen in the next few weeks, said MWCD superintendent Gary Kennedy. The MWCD board held its April meeting on April 12.

The Jackson Gulch dam is equipped with a repaired jet valve, Kennedy said. Last year, a new jet valve was implemented with an additional adapter ring, Kennedy said. But the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the Jackson Gulch project, said that valve was insufficient. So the original jet valve was rebuilt and remodeled and put back on the dam, Kennedy said. The modifications to that jet valve cost about $25,000, he said.

At the meeting, the board discussed the Jackson Gulch Reservoir title transfer effort, Kennedy said. The next step is obtaining appraisals for land that the MWCD will need to purchase in order to obtain ownership of the project. Those appraisals are still a few months away, Kennedy said.

The board also discussed the potential for a water management program for tracking usage throughout the Mancos Valley, Kennedy said.

The Conservancy District’s 75th anniversary is coming this summer. The board is planning a party on July 16 to celebrate. More details on the event will come at the board’s next meeting, Kennedy said.