PRESS RELEASE: June 22/23, 50th Anniversary Celebration, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Cache la Poudre

For Immediate Release Oct. 1, 2018 Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 State Must Investigate, Reveal Cause of Fish Kill on the Poudre River Fort Collins: Recent news reports have indicated that the fish kill on the Poudre River through Fort Collins has wiped out thousands of fish (see Sept 28 Coloradoan story here). Further, one of the prevailing hypotheses for the kills is warmer temperatures and lower flows in the Poudre River.  Further yet, warmer temperatures and lower flows may be the exact future for the Poudre River as climate change intensifies and if the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) is built. "The State must fully investigate and reveal the cause of this fish kill," said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. "If it is related to warmer temperatures and lower flows, then climate change and NISP could turn the river through Fort Collins into a muddy, stinking, dead ditch, not a river ever again." About 63% of the water in the Poudre River is already drained out by cities and farmers before the river reaches downtown Fort Collins. If the Northern Integrated Supply Project is built, about 40% of what's left of the peak flow of water during May and June will also be drained out (see July 20 press release here). Even worse, the proposed 'mitigation' for the huge negative impacts on the health of the river wouldn't extend downstream past LeMay Avenue in Fort Collins where the fish kill has occurred. "NISP would basically kill the Poudre River through Fort Collins," said Wockner.  "The State and the Army Corps of Engineers must do a full analysis of the potential impacts of NISP including its low flows and interaction with climate change." October 4th is the deadline for comments to the Army Corps of Engineers on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for NISP. The public can send in comments to the Army Coprs by clicking through to Save The Poudre's ACTION PAGE HERE. ***end***  

For Immediate Release April 23, 2018 Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado/Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 Colorado Water Plan Prepares To Drain Northern Front Range Rivers? CWCB Proposed “Regional Water Development Projects” Front Range, CO: Today, Save The Colorado is sounding a statewide alarm about an apparent effort by the Colorado Water Conservation Board to launch a large-scale “Water Development” strategy to identify to new dam and diversion projects on Front Range rivers. The CWCB sent out an email at 1:59pm on Friday April 20, 2018, announcing “workshops” aimed at “Water providers and stakeholders in the South Platte River basin interested in a regional water management and storage project.” The email, with flyer (posted here), goes on to say that the “South Platte/Metro Basin Implementation Plan” says the “projects will need to be developed.” The workshops, both in May, are scheduled at the state’s two biggest water agencies — Denver Water and the Northern Water. The “implementation plans” were developed during the “Colorado Water Plan” process, with the South Platte/Metro Basin Roundtable being the center of extreme controversy around the state. The Roundtable and its Implementation Plan identified a spider’s web of dam and pipeline projects, diverting water from rivers all over the state and sending that water to the Denver/Northern Colorado metroplex. This new Front Range “Water Development” strategy seems to be the first salvo in the next wave of dam proposals. “The Colorado Water Plan was extremely controversial and too heavily focused on draining and destroying rivers, not protecting and restoring them,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Colorado and Save The Poudre. “We will continue our vigilance as this process moves forward and we will fight to protect the rivers across the state.” **end**