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Poudre River Update:

Hello Poudre River Lovers! Thank you for your support!

We are pushing hard on every single lever to protect and restore the Cache la Poudre River.

First, NISP DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION!

Many of you have reached out to see what’s going on with the apparent construction in the valley where Glade Reservoir might be built. Please know that we are paying close attention and consulting with our legal team constantly.

The digging at the proposed site for Glade Reservoir is deemed by the Army Corps of Engineers to be “pre-construction” and “test hole drilling” that does not require a permit from the Corps. NISP is doing this work on land that NISP owns, and while it is very concerning to everyone, including all the neighbors, we talked at length with our legal team and there’s no way we can stop it.

Northern Water, which is building the Chimney Hollow Reservoir west of Loveland right now, did similar pre-construction work at that site. After we filed the lawsuit against Northern and the Corps’ after the permit came out, all of the construction at Chimney Hollow stopped.

We are very vigilant about everything that’s going on at the Glade site, and we are in constant communication with our legal team. We are nearly 100% likely to file a lawsuit against the Corps and Northern when the NISP permit is released. We expect the Corps to release the permit any day, and our legal team is poised with pens ready to fight and file.

Second, recall that we sued the former Larimer County Commissioners for giving a permit for NISP, and that lawsuit is still playing out in state court in Larimer County. We believe we have a strong case and our legal team is fighting hard to get the best outcome.

So far, the judge has not acted on any motions, and hasn’t issued any kind of rulings. It could take a year or more for this lawsuit to play out.

Third, our intervention in the lawsuit to stop the proposed Thornton Pipeline recently had a hearing in front of the state court of appeals in Denver. We are expecting a ruling in the coming weeks or months. Recall, the Larimer County Commissioners denied a permit to Thornton, then Thornton sued the County. Thornton lost in state district court and has now appealed to the state court of appeals.

Fourth, we continue to be engaged in the preparation of the City of Fort Collins’ new “1041 regulations” that will apply to NISP. We’ve provided many comments to the Council and the staff, and we are waiting for a final draft that will be on the City Council agenda in October or November. These regs are very important to protect the Poudre River as well as the Natural Areas all the way through Fort Collins.

PLEASE KNOW – Your past support has made all of the difference in our ability to engage in these battles, and your current and future support is what will keep us fighting hard. We’ve been girding for this legal action for 19 years.

Every $25 or $50 makes a real difference.  If you can afford $100 or $250 or more, that’s great too! All donations are tax deductible

Please donate on our website at:
http://www.savethepoudre.org/take-action/donate/

Thank you for your support!

Mark Easter and Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre

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Save The Poudre Update: We’re Doubling Down Against the Thornton Pipeline!

Hi Amazing Friends of the Poudre River! It's been a wild 10 days since our announcement about the Agreement we reached to stop opposing the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), all of which is still being solidified. Stay tuned for more information about all of that in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, we're doubling down against the Thornton Pipeline. Yesterday, we filed our opening brief in our lawsuit against the pipeline, in which we made it perfectly loud and clear that Larimer County should have required Thornton to present a "Poudre River Option" for sending its water down the river instead of a pipeline north of Fort Collins. In fact, NISP will be sending about 1/3 of its water down the Poudre River, equaling about 14,000 acre feet, which is nearly the exact same amount of water that Thornton is proposing to put in its pipeline. If NISP can do it, Thornton can also do it! Further, Thornton's water would be during the summer months which would greatly help to make the river cleaner and healthier at the same time that more people are recreating in the river, including at the Whitewater Park in downtown Fort Collins. Rest assured that our work protecting the Poudre is not done and we are still working hard. Thank you for your ongoing support! Gary Wockner, Director, Save The Poudre

PRESS RELEASE: Save The Poudre secures $100 million for “Poudre River Improvement Fund” to end NISP opposition and lawsuit

February 28, 2025 Press Release Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, gary.wockner@savethepoudre.org Save The Poudre secures $100 million for “Poudre River Improvement Fund” to end NISP opposition and lawsuit The conservation settlement is likely one of the largest in U.S. history for a river its size and envisions a “Poudre River Water Trail” to transform the lower river into a recreational amenity Fort Collins, CO: Today, Save The Poudre announces that it has entered into an Agreement (posted here) with the Northern Integrated Supply Project Water Activity Enterprise [NISP Enterprise] that will secure $100 million, paid by the NISP Enterprise, for a “Poudre River Improvement Fund” (Fund). In return, Save The Poudre will end its 20-year opposition to NISP and withdraw its lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for giving a permit to NISP. The Agreement ends the two-decade long battle over NISP which is a proposed $2.25 billion off-channel reservoir project northwest of Fort Collins that would drain more water out of the Cache la Poudre River to slake the thirst of growing towns in Weld, Larimer, and Boulder counties. The $100 million Fund is likely one of the largest river conservation settlements in U.S. history for a river its size and can provide benefits to the Poudre River from Gateway Park in Poudre Canyon all the way to the confluence with the South Platte River east of Greeley about 50 river-miles downstream. The Agreement specifically supports the potential creation of a “Poudre River Water Trail” that could transform the river into a recreational amenity for tubing, fishing, and boating from Gateway Park downstream to Eastman Park in Windsor. Exhibit A of the Agreement lists 10 types of projects that the Fund can be used for – such as ecological, habitat, and recreational improvements – in addition to describing how the Fund will be managed. Importantly, the $100 million is separate from, and in addition to, the money already committed by NISP in its “2017 Mitigation and Enhancement Plan.” “For 20 years, we have brought attention to the plight of the Poudre River and the impacts on the river that would be caused by NISP,” said Gary Wockner, who has directed Save The Poudre for all of those 20 years. “We are pleased to have reached this Agreement and we look forward to putting the Improvement Fund to work for the health of the river and all of the people who love and enjoy the river in northern Colorado.” Save The Poudre will appoint 3 people to the Fund Committee – which will oversee and direct all of the Fund’s expenditures on projects – and the NISP Enterprise will also appoint 3 people. The Fund will be held in trust at the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. The NISP Enterprise will pay out a total of $100 million over a 15-year period, with the first payment of $5 million made next week. Mark Easter, who has been the board chair of Save The Poudre since it was…

Poudre River Update: In the year 2025, we’re STILL Fighting to Protect the Poudre!

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