The newly-configured Douglas County water commission got its first look at each other on Monday.

The county’s commissioners had named members to the water panel in November. 

Below are the appointees.

For District 1, which is represented by Commissioner Abe Laydon:

• Water law expert James Eklund, formerly the head of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the state’s representative on the Upper Colorado River Commission. Eklund neither lives in Douglas County nor owns property there, which was part of the criteria for being on the commission, but he was approved by all three county commissioners

• Former Douglas County commissioner Jack Hilbert, who served on the Cherry Creek Water Authority when he was a commissioner (from 2006 to 2014) and who has contributed to the campaigns for commissioners George Teal and Lora Thomas

• Donald Langley, a member of the board of the Parker Water and Sanitation District, the county’s largest water provider

For District 2, which is represented by Commissioner George Teal:

• Clark Hammelman, former Mayor Pro-Tem for the Town of Castle Rock

• James Maras, who served on the Perry Park Water District Board and the Association of Regional Water Organizations

• Roger Hudson, a member of the Castle Pines City Council who has made five campaign contributions to Teal, including $1,000 after he applied for the water commission seat

For District 3, which is represented by Commissioner Lora Thomas:

• Frank Johns, a reviewer of the 2023 Colorado Water Plan and a member of the Centennial Water and Sanitation District board of directors

• Evan Ela, a water lawyer and professional hydrologist and a member of the board of the Chatfield Water District

• Harold Smethills, a major donor to Teal and Laydon and the owner of Sterling Ranch. Smethills does not live in Douglas County but the appointment criteria was tweaked by Laydon and Teal to allow those who own property in the county to apply. Smethills and members of his family have contributed more than $15,000 to Teal’s campaigns and $7,500 to Laydon’s 2020 campaign. Harold Smethills made a $1,000 contribution to Teal’s reelection campaign after he applied for the water commission. Thomas objected to Smethills but was outvoted by Teal and Laydon.

One at-large appointee is Sean Tonner, a principal with Renewable Water Resources, which has attempted to persuade Douglas County to invest in a multi-million effort to pipe 20,000 acre-feet of agricultural water out of the San Luis Valley. Tonner is also a contributor to the Teal and Laydon campaigns, with contributions totaling $5,350 to Teal and $2,500 to Laydon. Thomas also objected to Tonner but was outvoted.

Also an at-large appointee is Tricia Bernhardt, a board member of the Rural Water Authority of Douglas County and an environmental planner and project manager for Tetra Tech.

Laydon and Teal outvoted Thomas on the appointments.

The commissioners on Monday added two more at-large alternates: Craig Broughton, an associate of Tonner’s and another Teal campaign contributor, and James Yates, an RWR principal who has also made contributions to the Teal and Thomas campaigns.

The commission’s primary job is to come up with a 2050 comprehensive water master plan, one that will include rural parts of Douglas County.

There are about 30 water districts in the county, but there are also large chunks where residents have their own wells – the county estimates 8,500 domestic wells have been drilled – and aren’t under a water district. 

The group put off choosing a chair and vice-chair until next month.