FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022
VANDALISM RESULTS IN WATER LOSS ON BERTHOUD PASS
GRAND COUNTY, CO – On June 22, 2022, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the City of Northglenn of a theft of water and criminal mischief of water diversion gates on Berthoud Pass located in unincorporated Grand County. The City of Northglenn has a water ditch on Berthoud Pass that diverts water via a system of gates to the City of Northglenn.
Northglenn staff reported that they had recently discovered a sudden and significant decrease in water output routed for Northglenn from Grand County over the last two days. When staff had responded to the ditch on Berthoud Pass they found that several water diversion gates were intentionally damaged or destroyed. This large decrease in water flow could result in monumental losses for the city.
Sheriff Brett Schroetlin stated, “This type of crime is extremely concerning and is in no way victimless. The residents of the City of Northglenn are directly impacted by this vandalism.”
“We sincerely appreciate the support from Grand County Sheriff on this serious issue,” said City Manager Heather Geyer. “Our city depends on this water source, and many others count on a steady water flow down the line from us. We encourage anyone who might have any information related to the incident(s) to come forward. We will do everything we can to protect our resource. Respecting the ownership of water rights is critical to fair and equitable distribution of this precious resource in Colorado.”
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 970-725-3343 or send an email to so_investigations@co.grand.co.us and provide an official statement.
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