Engineering our
mountain communities
Water resources
Roaring Fork Engineering designed a new water supply, treatment, and storage system for a working cattle and guest ranch facing drought. The scope included spring development, distribution, and permitting through the Colorado health department and the U.S. Forest Service.
Challenges & highlights
Almost none of this infrastructure existed. The springs had collection structures dating to roughly 1900, which we modernized. The project added miles of piping in the forest and on the ranch, a new treatment building, new storage tanks, and miles of both potable water and irrigation lines. A pipe crossing was designed to run along a Forest Service bridge, and the Forest Service reviewed and approved that design. The system was permitted through the Colorado health department.
The scale of the project was its defining challenge. The ranch’s demand and reliability needs called for infrastructure closer to that of a small city than a typical ranch, and working with ownership to understand that scope was a significant part of the effort. The project combines water resources, water treatment, and irrigation engineering across multiple disciplines.
The results
Smith Fork Ranch now has a fully operational water supply, treatment, and storage system that secures its water rights and supports both its guest and cattle operations. The project delivered a small city’s worth of infrastructure, including modernized spring collection, a new treatment building, tanks, and miles of potable and irrigation piping, all approved by the Forest Service and permitted through the Colorado health department. With investment in the system now exceeding $3 million, the ranch has the reliable water supply it needs to withstand drought and continue operating for years to come.
Infrastructure that lasts
Whether you’re planning a new development, upgrading public infrastructure, or improving community systems, our team is ready to help bring your project from concept to completion.
