Northern Integrated Supply Fact Sheet

PROJECT OVERVIEW

  • The Northern Integrated Supply Project began formally in 2000 when 10 communities and water districts and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District held a meeting to discuss their significant need for future water supplies. In 2003-04, the NISP participants moved forward by studying more than 200 options for meeting future water needs.

 

  • The Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) is a cooperative, regional effort to meet the water needs of many Front Range communities - including Erie - now and in the future.

 

  • Member communities include: Lafayette, Frederick, Fort Collins/Loveland Water District, Windsor, Left Hand Water District, Erie, Morgan Quality Water District, Severance, Central Weld County Water District, Evans, Firestone, Dacono, Fort Lupton, Fort Morgan, Eaton.

 

  • Instead of each of these water sup­pliers trying to finance and build numerous water projects on their own, they have decided to work cooperatively on NISP to build one regional project.

 

  • The project includes two off-channel reservoirs, Glade Reservoir, northwest of Fort Collins, and Galeton Reservoir, east of Ault. It would provide 40,000 acre-feet of reliable firm yield annually to 15 Front Range water providers who are funding the project. Two water rights would be used to fill the reservoirs - one on the Cache la Poudre River to fill Glade and one on the South Platte to fill Galeton.

 

  • There would be no new structures on the Poudre River as a result of the project. Glade Reservoir is an off-stream reservoir, which means it is not a dam on the Poudre River.

 

NISP is SMART PLANNING & a sound financial investment

  • The Town of Erie actively conserves water and recently had its conservation plan approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board. It also has an active reuse program for non-potable irrigation of parks and open space. However, NISP remains a very important project to meet future water demands for our citizens.

 

  • Most of Erie's water supply comes from the Colorado Big Thompson Project (CBT) and the Windy Gap Project (Windy Gap). Very little CBT or Windy Gap water is projected to be available in the future.

 

  • The cost of NISP is approximately $10,000 per acre foot. The cost of CBT shares are approximately $20,000 per acre foot.

 

  • Financial analysis shows that new development will pay for all costs associated with Erie's participation in the project

 

NISP IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY OPTION

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its draft environmental impact statement for the Northern Integrated Supply Project on April 30, 2008. The public has 90 days to comment and provide input on the document. The Corps and an unbiased, third-party consultant spent tens of thousands of hours during the past several years preparing the document, which studies the purpose of and need for the project, possible alternatives and what impacts the alternatives would have on the environment.  The draft EIS is available on the Corps Web site at https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/od-tl/eis-info.htm .

 

Some key findings of the draft Environmental Impact Statement:

 

  • Reduced flows through Fort Collins because of NISP will not significantly alter the aesthetics of the river. It will still be bank-to-bank during most times NISP diverts.

 

 

  • Glade Reservoir will add approximately $17 million annually in recreational values to the region.

 

  • The project will not reduce river flows within the Poudre Canyon and has the potential to increase flows in the lower part of the canyon and extend the rafting season into late summer.

 

  • Segments of the Poudre River have historically dried up during the winter months. NISP will not increase the dry periods in the Poudre River through Fort Collins.

 

  • There is a "no action" option outlining what the participants would do without NISP. If NISP is not built, an additional 62 to 100 square miles of agricultural lands will be dried up as those water suppliers accelerate the acquisition of farmers' water.

 

  • The water supplies NISP participants will have to acquire if NISP is not built will cost more than twice as much as building NISP.