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Draft EIS on Proposed Windy Gap Firming Project available
The Bureau of Reclamation has released to the public the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed Windy Gap Firming Project.
Public comments on the project must be provided in writing no later than Oct. 28.
To access the Draft EIS, Executive Summary and supporting technical reports visit www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao.
The document is also available at the Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby and Grand Lake libraries.
In October, BuRec plans to conduct two open houses to present the Draft EIS to the public and answer questions.
The first is at 6 p.m. with a public hearing at 7 p.m., Oct. 7, at the McKee Conference Center, 2000 Boise Ave., Loveland.
The second is at 5 p.m. with a public hearing at 6 p.m., Oct. 9, at the Inn at SilverCreek, 62927 U.S. Highway 40, Granby.
Written comments will be accepted at the hearings.
To comment on the Draft EIS, mail, fax or e-mail to the attention of Will Tully at: Bureau of Reclamation, 11056 W. County Road 18E, Loveland, CO 80537 (fax) 970-663-3212, (e-mail) wtully@gp.usbr.gov.
The Windy Gap Firming Project is proposed by the Municipal Subdistrict of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District “to store Windy Gap water and ensure reliable future deliveries,” according to NCWCD.
The Draft EIS summarizes the anticipated environmental effects of the proposed project and five alternatives, including a “No Action” Alternative.
Windy Gap Firming participants include the cities of Broomfield, Greeley, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, and Loveland; the towns of Erie, Evans, Fort Lupton and Superior; the Central Weld County Water District, the Little Thompson Water District, the Platte River Power Authority and the Middle Park Water Conservancy District.
According to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Web site, the participants supply water to about 425,600 people. That number is estimated to increase 56 percent to 754,700 by the year 2030. If additional water supplies are not obtained, the combined demand of all participants would exceed supplies by 2015 and result in an estimated water shortage of 64,000 acre-feet by the year 2030. West Slope communities in Grand and Summit counties partially served by the Middle Park Water Conservancy District anticipate an additional water demand of up to 17,000 acre-feet by 2030.
The purpose of the proposed firming project is to deliver a firm annual yield of up to 30,000 acre-feet of water by 2010 from the Windy Gap Project, and to provide up to 3,000 acre-feet of storage to firm water deliveries for the Middle Park Water Conservancy District.
Public comments on the project must be provided in writing no later than Oct. 28.
To access the Draft EIS, Executive Summary and supporting technical reports visit www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao.
The document is also available at the Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby and Grand Lake libraries.
In October, BuRec plans to conduct two open houses to present the Draft EIS to the public and answer questions.
The first is at 6 p.m. with a public hearing at 7 p.m., Oct. 7, at the McKee Conference Center, 2000 Boise Ave., Loveland.
The second is at 5 p.m. with a public hearing at 6 p.m., Oct. 9, at the Inn at SilverCreek, 62927 U.S. Highway 40, Granby.
Written comments will be accepted at the hearings.
To comment on the Draft EIS, mail, fax or e-mail to the attention of Will Tully at: Bureau of Reclamation, 11056 W. County Road 18E, Loveland, CO 80537 (fax) 970-663-3212, (e-mail) wtully@gp.usbr.gov.
The Windy Gap Firming Project is proposed by the Municipal Subdistrict of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District “to store Windy Gap water and ensure reliable future deliveries,” according to NCWCD.
The Draft EIS summarizes the anticipated environmental effects of the proposed project and five alternatives, including a “No Action” Alternative.
Windy Gap Firming participants include the cities of Broomfield, Greeley, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, and Loveland; the towns of Erie, Evans, Fort Lupton and Superior; the Central Weld County Water District, the Little Thompson Water District, the Platte River Power Authority and the Middle Park Water Conservancy District.
According to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Web site, the participants supply water to about 425,600 people. That number is estimated to increase 56 percent to 754,700 by the year 2030. If additional water supplies are not obtained, the combined demand of all participants would exceed supplies by 2015 and result in an estimated water shortage of 64,000 acre-feet by the year 2030. West Slope communities in Grand and Summit counties partially served by the Middle Park Water Conservancy District anticipate an additional water demand of up to 17,000 acre-feet by 2030.
The purpose of the proposed firming project is to deliver a firm annual yield of up to 30,000 acre-feet of water by 2010 from the Windy Gap Project, and to provide up to 3,000 acre-feet of storage to firm water deliveries for the Middle Park Water Conservancy District.
A water deal struck in June with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District is paying off this fall, according to Grand County commissioners.
Grand County spent $57,500 for use of the Northern municipal subdistrict Windy Gap pumping facility in an effort to pump 1,500 acre-feet of water into Lake Granby to be used in 2008 only. The deal was considered a cooperative breakthrough with NCWCD.
Due to evaporative loss, or “shrinkage,” over the course of the summer that quantity of water has decreased to 1,350 acre-feet.
Timing is right to release that water into the Colorado River, county officials said at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, since NCWCD releases dropped from 40 cubic-feet per second (cfs) to 20 cfs out of Granby Reservoir at the onset of September.
The water-release cutoff date Sept. 1 has been part of the Bureau’s annual operating plan since 1961, when flow levels were re-negotiated as part of Senate Document 80, the Congressional decree for the Colorado Big-Thompson Project.
The “free” water stored for Grand County this spring, which was excess water not owned by any entity after calls were satisfied, will be released at a rate of 25 cfs for 27 days this fall to promote river health. The county plans to hold off releases for about a week to compare the river’s condition before and after releases.
Grand County fundamentally disagrees with the operating plan established in 1961, commissioners say, because today’s growth and river health are not taken into consideration.
“We do not believe (the formula from 1961) works. It can be improved upon,” said Commissioner James Newberry.
Commissioners also contend that during the original arrangement of operations, “Grand County was not included in that decision.”
— Tonya Bina can be reached at 887-3334 ext. 19603 or e-mail tbina@grandcountynews.com.
Grand County spent $57,500 for use of the Northern municipal subdistrict Windy Gap pumping facility in an effort to pump 1,500 acre-feet of water into Lake Granby to be used in 2008 only. The deal was considered a cooperative breakthrough with NCWCD.
Due to evaporative loss, or “shrinkage,” over the course of the summer that quantity of water has decreased to 1,350 acre-feet.
Timing is right to release that water into the Colorado River, county officials said at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, since NCWCD releases dropped from 40 cubic-feet per second (cfs) to 20 cfs out of Granby Reservoir at the onset of September.
The water-release cutoff date Sept. 1 has been part of the Bureau’s annual operating plan since 1961, when flow levels were re-negotiated as part of Senate Document 80, the Congressional decree for the Colorado Big-Thompson Project.
The “free” water stored for Grand County this spring, which was excess water not owned by any entity after calls were satisfied, will be released at a rate of 25 cfs for 27 days this fall to promote river health. The county plans to hold off releases for about a week to compare the river’s condition before and after releases.
Grand County fundamentally disagrees with the operating plan established in 1961, commissioners say, because today’s growth and river health are not taken into consideration.
“We do not believe (the formula from 1961) works. It can be improved upon,” said Commissioner James Newberry.
Commissioners also contend that during the original arrangement of operations, “Grand County was not included in that decision.”
— Tonya Bina can be reached at 887-3334 ext. 19603 or e-mail tbina@grandcountynews.com.
