Nolte to Develop Master Water Plan at Garfield County Regional Airport

Garfield County Regional Airport opened in 1940 and today features a 7,000-ft by 100-ft runway that serves single-engine and multi-engine planes and jets near Rifle.

Photo courtesy of Nolte Associates Inc.

Nolte Associates Inc. was recently selected by Garfield County Commissioners to develop a master plan for water and sanitary sewer systems at Garfield County Regional Airport.

The Garfield airport, located near Rifle, is Colorado’s busiest general aviation airport outside of metro Denver. It went into service in 1940 and today features a 7,000-ft by 100-ft runway serving single-engine and multi-engine planes and jets, as well as helicopters. In recent years, Garfield Airport has experienced increasing demands on its services because of the growth of the surrounding community and its prime location within an hour of three resort communities.

Garfield Airport currently has 18 buildings onsite with an additional 26 hangars planned, including 11 now in development. Upgrading the water and sanitary sewer systems to support this expansion was identified as a critical need.

Nolte’s master planning services include evaluation of the existing water and sewer system’s capacity to meet both current and projected demands for the airport. The process will also identify the need for new facilities, fire protection recommendations and a phased plan for implementing improvements.

“We will provide the county with a roadmap to make the water and sewer improvements necessary for safe, reliable service. Once the plan is complete, we will be prepared to follow with design and construction services at the county’s direction,” said Will Koger, director of the water resources group, Nolte Associates, Rocky Mountain Region. “As part of the master-planning process, we will evaluate water system alternatives to ensure that there are adequate fire flows to protect existing airport structures and aircraft.”

Nolte will be assisted by Rifle firms Colorado River Engineering and Bookcliff Survey Services. The master plan is scheduled to be complete by the end of July.