Northern Integrated Supply Project
We were again graced with the presence of Galen Schwaner who will hopefully be a member soon. Susan Van Deren reminded us that we would be touring the Cozy Cow Dairy on the 17th. Susan also announced that the fund raiser the previous weekend for the Windsor Community Foundation raised about $30,000 plus another $1000 was sent to the Parkersburg, IA.
PROGRAM
Our speaker for the week was Brian Werner from the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. He spoke to us about the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). This is the project that calls for a 170,000 acre foot reservoir in Glade Park (US 287 valley north of Ft. Collins), and a 40,000 acre foot reservoir near Galeton. This project, if brought to fruition, will be the product of a very complex set of agreements between municipalities, water districts, irrigation companies, the US Army Corps of Engineers and others. There are fifteen separate entities involved in the project including most of the municipalities in the area. It involves capture of water from the Poudre west of Ft. Collins, exchanges to get it where it is needed, and pipelines and structures to deliver it.
Werner told us that of the original Colorado Big Thompson Project, only 34% of the water is now being used for agriculture. Over the years, more of this water has been converted to municipal use. The area has doubled in population in the last thirty years, but no new reservoirs have been built in that time. The environmental permitting process was started in 2002 and was finally released to the public about six weeks ago. It is now out for a 90 day public comment period. It is estimated that a decision will come down from the Corps of Engineers in about six months. Werner said that the project must stand on its own two feet or it won’t be built. The total cost for the project is currently estimated to be about $400 million. He also said that the “do nothing” option would cost about $800 million to serve the same growth. Even though the Colorado Big Thompson water is easily transferable within the service area, this option is becoming much less viable.
NEW QUIZ
A man of many talents, Thomas Jefferson was a master horticulturist, growing about 70 different species of vegetables in his garden at Monticello. Jefferson was among the first in the United States to grow which vegetable, thought by many at the time to be poisonous?
PROGRAM
Our speaker for the week was Brian Werner from the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. He spoke to us about the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). This is the project that calls for a 170,000 acre foot reservoir in Glade Park (US 287 valley north of Ft. Collins), and a 40,000 acre foot reservoir near Galeton. This project, if brought to fruition, will be the product of a very complex set of agreements between municipalities, water districts, irrigation companies, the US Army Corps of Engineers and others. There are fifteen separate entities involved in the project including most of the municipalities in the area. It involves capture of water from the Poudre west of Ft. Collins, exchanges to get it where it is needed, and pipelines and structures to deliver it.
Werner told us that of the original Colorado Big Thompson Project, only 34% of the water is now being used for agriculture. Over the years, more of this water has been converted to municipal use. The area has doubled in population in the last thirty years, but no new reservoirs have been built in that time. The environmental permitting process was started in 2002 and was finally released to the public about six weeks ago. It is now out for a 90 day public comment period. It is estimated that a decision will come down from the Corps of Engineers in about six months. Werner said that the project must stand on its own two feet or it won’t be built. The total cost for the project is currently estimated to be about $400 million. He also said that the “do nothing” option would cost about $800 million to serve the same growth. Even though the Colorado Big Thompson water is easily transferable within the service area, this option is becoming much less viable.
NEW QUIZ
A man of many talents, Thomas Jefferson was a master horticulturist, growing about 70 different species of vegetables in his garden at Monticello. Jefferson was among the first in the United States to grow which vegetable, thought by many at the time to be poisonous?
posted by Windsor Rotary Club (link to this post)
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