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TAKE ACTION: Don’t Let The River District Become The “Ditch” District”

Hi Poudre River Lovers!

Thank you for checking out our website and for taking action to protect the beautiful Cache la Poudre River!

You may not know this, but the Poudre River through Fort Collins is deeply endangered. Much of its water has already been diverted out, and even more water is proposed to be diverted before the river reaches downtown Fort Collins.

Right now, there are four proposals for new dams, diversions, and pipelines upstream of Fort Collins that would take even more water out the river potentially turning the river in Fort Collins into a muddy, stinking ditch. These new diversions of water would have serious negative impacts on the health of the river, on the forest along the river, on the new Whitewater Park in downtown, and on the fish and ecosystem in the river.

But you can take action to do something about these problems right now!

One of the proposed new dams/diversions is called the “Northern Integrated Supply Project” and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – which has to go through a permit process for the project – recently released the “Final Environmental Impact Statement” for the project and is accepting comments from the public about the proposed permit until October 4th.

Save The Poudre’s excellent team of highly experienced scientists and attorneys has analyzed the Final Environmental Impact Statement and has created a short summary of problems that the Army Corps needs to fix. We will also be sending in a much longer technical letter with our comments, but you can take action to send in a summary of comments that will give you legal standing in the permitting process now and in the future.

Please click here to go to our Action Page and send a comment letter to the Army Corps.

Thank you for visiting, and thank you for Taking Action!

The Save The Poudre Team

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PRESS RELEASE: Thornton Pipeline TABLED

For Immediate Release August 1, 2018 Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 Fort Collins, CO: Tonight, the Larimer County Commisioners "TABLED" the Thornton Pipeline application until December 2018. After multiple meetings and public process and testimony, the Commissioners voted unanimously to TABLE Thornton's 1041 permit to run a massive pipeline across northern Larimer County carrying Poudre River water. All three Commissioners said that Thornton did not consider alternatives, especially the 'Poudre River Option'. The Commissioners want more public outreach and information. "Thornton now has a tremendous opportunity to work with, not against, the people of Larimer County and do the right thing for the Poudre River by choosing the 'Poudre River Option'", said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. "We'd be delighted to work with the City of Thornton -- as we have told them for 10 years now -- to see them run their water down the Poudre River thereby providing great benefits to the river and the people of Larimer County while still ensuring Thornton's future water supply." **end**   -- Gary Wockner, PhD, Director Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper Author: "River Warrior: Fighting to Protect the World's Rivers" (2016) PO Box 20, Fort Collins, CO 80522 http://savethepoudre.org http://www.facebook.com/SaveThePoudre https://twitter.com/savethepoudre 970-218-8310

PRESS RELEASE: THORNTON’S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2018      For Further Information Contact:      Karen Wagner,  970-227-7437 THORNTON'S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWNUNTIL PHASES 2 & 3 OF THE THORNTON NORTHERN PROJECT ARE MADE PUBLIC Based on Thornton’s own admissions in today’s (4/25/18) Rocky Mountain Collegian article, the grassroots No Pipe Dream organization, Save the Poudre and the citizens of Larimer County call on the Larimer County Planning Department to inform the City of Thornton that its 1041 application is premature and should be withdrawn, until all present and future impacts of the city’s water transfers on land uses in Larimer County can be satisfactorily demonstrated. In the Collegian article, Thornton officials admit that multiple pipelines could be needed in Larimer County in the future; Thornton’s current 1041 application is limited to a single pipeline.  Additionally the city stated that it was currently uncertain as to when the Denver suburb will need to deliver more water from the Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County.  Both statements are at odds with Thornton’s most recent contentions that a single 48” pipeline will be sufficient to meet the city’s needs until 2065 and that the 3-phase project doesn’t include additional raw water or return flow pipelines.No Pipe Dream, Save the Poudre and the citizens of Larimer County publicly call for the City of Thornton to withdraw its 1041 pipeline application for Phase 1 of the Thornton Northern Project, until such time that Thornton adequately lays out the full scope of the 3-phase project, provides a timeline and project description for Phase 2 and Phase 3, and discloses all present and future impacts to land uses in Larimer County as is required by the land use code.   If Thornton declines to withdraw its current, Phase 1 application, we ask the Larimer County Planning Department, in consultation with the Larimer County Commissioners, to once again cancel the upcoming hearings based on a 1041 application that is premature, piecemeal, incomplete and fails to comply with the requirements of the land use code. As residents of Larimer County, we believe it would be a dereliction of duty for the Larimer County Planning Commission and the County Commissioners to consider or approve the current 1041 application without full disclosure of all present and future land use impacts of Thornton’s water transfers and the Northern Water Project .  If Thornton cannot evaluate all present and future impacts at this time, the City should withdraw its application and reapply when all of those impacts can be substantiated.                                                      # # # Submitted by Karen Wagner (kaswagner@me.com) on behalf of the No Pipe Dream Steering Committee and Gary Wockner (gary.wockner@savethepoudre.com) for Save The Poudre

PARTY TIME: Join Us At Save The Poudre’s End-Of-Year Party, Dec. 4th

Hi Poudre River Lovers! Please join us on Dec. 4th for our year-end party! We will update you on all of our work, tell you what happened this year, and what's going to happen next year with our almost-15 year fight against the Northern Integrated Supply Project. In addition, our guest speaker will be former Fort Collins City Councilmember and Sierra Club Raconteur Alan Apt who has a new book out. Published by the Colorado Mountain Club and titled, Ski and Snowshoe Routes on Colorado's Front Range, the book describes and maps the best routes all along the Front Range mountains all within easy driving distance of Larimer County. Alan will also generously donate a portion of book sales to Save The Poudre at the event! Alan has a great slideshow, and his book might make a perfect holiday gift for a snow-loving friend or family member. WHAT: SAVE THE POUDRE YEAR-END PARTY WHERE: AVOGADRO'S NUMBER, 605 S. Mason Street, Fort Collins WHEN: MONDAY, DEC. 4th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm Please click thru to the Facebook event to let us know you're coming here: https://www.facebook.com/events/306486349867915/ SEE YOU THERE! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!  

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