For Immediate Release Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper Contact: Gary Wockner, Director, 970-218-8310 Groundhog Day On The Poudre River: With Release of NISP FEIS, Nothing Has Changed In 15 Years As Massive Dam Project Would Still Drain The Poudre Through Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO: Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the long-awaited "Final Environmental Impact Statement (link here)" (FEIS) for the "Northern Integrated Supply Project" (NISP), a massive proposed new dam/diversion that would further drain the Cache la Poudre River through Fort Collins. Although 15 years has passed by, nothing has changed -- the project would still dramatically reduce river flows and have huge negative impacts on the river. In fact, right off the bat on page 15 (link here, image below), the FEIS indicates that the NISP "preferred alternative" ("2M") would drain 45% of the water out of the river in May during high-flow periods and 39% of the water in June, the two peak flow months in downtown Fort Collins. Further, these impacts would occur exactly where the City of Fort Collins will begin construction of a new whitewater park this Fall (See graph below for the "Lincoln Gage" which is right across the street from New Belgium Brewing). "It's Groundhog Day on the Poudre River," said Gary Wockner. "Every day for 15 years we've been waking up and nothing has changed -- and now this FEIS clearly indicates, again, that NISP would further drain and destroy the Poudre River through Fort Collins." Further yet, the Poudre River has already had 63% of its water drained out by farms and cities at the same point in the river, and thus this new diversion would dramatically decrease river flows compared to the river's natural state. The FEIS weighs in a 2,272 pages plus 23 additional "technical reports", but the Army Corps has given the public a paltry 45 days to review the massive document. "The first thing we will do is send the Corps a request to extend the public comment period," said Wockner. "And then our team of scientists and attorneys will dig in for our summer of reading." "We've been at this for 15 years, and we are digging in for the home stretch," continued Wockner. "We are bigger, stronger, and better funded than ever, and we will never stop fighting to protect the Poudre." This press release is posted here. ***end*** -- Gary Wockner, PhD, Director Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper PO Box 20, Fort Collins, CO 80522 http://savethepoudre.org http://www.facebook.com/SaveThePoudre https://twitter.com/savethepoudre 970-218-8310

June 11, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 Fort Collins: Last night, the City of Fort Collins "Land Conservation and Stewardship Board" (LCSB), which advises the City Council on the management of the City's thousands of acres of protected Open Space and Natural Areas, sent a tersely worded memo (link here) to the City Council advising the Council take urgent action to oppose the massive proposed dam called the Northern Integrated Supply Project ("NISP").  The memo describes staggering negative impacts that NISP would cause to the Natural Areas along the Poudre River including: "NISP’s removal of water from the river will, quite simply, dehydrate our Natural Areas’ ecological resources and degrade them; hundred-year-old trees will die, understory plants will shift to more drought tolerant species, biodiversity will decrease, and forest- and wetland-dependent animals will disappear." The memo reminds the City Council that the citizens of Fort Collins tax themselves to buy these Natural Areas, most recently by a city-wide vote in 2014 with 82% supporting the taxation. The memo further states: "The citizens of Fort Collins, as they have invested in Natural Areas, have believed that those areas and their ecological resources and recreational opportunities would be protected in perpetuity. In the opinion of this Board, perpetuity ends on the day that NISP bulldozers arrive to divert water from the Poudre River." Finally, the memo calls for "urgent" action by the City Council to "actively oppose NISP": "Active opposition, led by City Council, is urgently needed. If there is no change in position, and if NISP is implemented, then ecological and recreational treasures will be injured beyond repair. Fort Collins can join other entities in opposing NISP under Federal and State permitting processes, and this Board urges Council to do so without delay." "The Land Conservation and Stewardship Board is entrusted to manage and watchdog these great resources for the future of all citizens," said Gary Wockner, Director of Save The Poudre. "Active opposition to NISP is needed right now -- through the County, State, and Federal permitting processes -- and we strongly urge the Fort Collins City Council to take the Board's advice." Permit Status Update: The Colorado State permit was given to NISP in January 2020. Save The Poudre has appealed that decision to the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. The final hearing is scheduled for November. Larimer County has begun its permit process with hearings in June, July, and August (see hearing schedule here). The Record of Decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting process is expected in later 2020. "We've been fighting to stop NISP for 17 years and we're going to sprint through the finish line with enormous support from the people of Fort Collins and Larimer County, with a great team of scientists and attorneys, and with the vision for protecting the river in perpetuity for the entire community to enjoy," said Wockner ***end***

For Immediate Release October 4, 2018 Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 The Northern Integrated Supply Project Would Help Kill The Poudre River, Violate Clean Water Act "Diverting what's left of the peak flows of water would increasingly turn the river -- which is greatly loved by the people of Fort Collins -- into a muddy, stinking, lifeless ditch." -- Gary Wockner Fort Collins: Today, Oct 4th, was the close of the public comment period for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), a massive, billion-dollar, proposed dam and diversion that would further drain the Cache la Poudre River through Fort Collins. Save The Poudre and other Conservation Groups inserted a 36-page document into the comment period (along with 282 pages of technical attachments) -- prepared by the Washington D.C.-based law firm, "Meyer, Glitzenstein & Eubanks LLP" -- arguing that the Army Corps would be violating the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act if they give a permit to NISP. Save The Poudre and the Conservation Groups argue that the impacts of NISP on the Cache la Poudre River would be devastatingly negative to the health of the river and the wetlands along the river as it flows through Fort Collins. Building NISP, the Groups argue, would not be the "Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative" (LEDPA) which the Clean Water Act requires. In fact, about 63% of the river's water is already diverted by farms and cities before the river reaches downtown Fort Collins, and NISP proposes to cause massively more environmental damage by diverting about 40% of what's left of the peak flows in the months of May and June, on average. "NISP would cost over a billion dollars and basically kill the Poudre River through Fort Collins," said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. "Diverting what's left of the peak flows of water would increasingly turn the river -- which is greatly loved by the people of Fort Collins -- into a muddy, stinking, lifeless ditch." Save The Poudre and the Conservation Groups factually argue that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' FEIS violates the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act because the Corps: Failed to implement and analyze a proper "alternatives analysis" that would cause less damage on the environment, including alternatives that use more water conservation and buy water from farmers. Failed to adequately analyze the negative impacts to water quality in the river. Failed to adequately analyze negative impacts to sensitive wetlands and the forest along the Poudre River corridor in Fort Collins. Failed to adequately analyze the negative impacts to the Whitewater Park currently being built in downtown Fort Collins. Failed to provide adequate mitigation caused by the devastating negative impacts of NISP. "The FEIS violates federal law," said Gary Wockner. "The Corps has one more chance to correct these fatal errors when they create the 'Record of Decision' in the coming months. We've had an eagle-eye on NISP and the Corps for…