MEDIA STATEMENT: Save The Poudre Considering Appeal of Thornton Pipeline Ruling 7/7/2025, Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre On July 3rd, the State District Court judge ruled on our lawsuit against the Thornton Pipeline, siding with the Larimer County Commissioners and Thornton, and against Save The Poudre. The ruling is posted here: https://www.savethepoudre.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ORDER-REGARDING-PLAINTIFFS-COMPLAINT-FOR-JUDICIAL-REVIEW-UNDER-C.R.C.P.pdf Save The Poudre's statement: "Importantly, we believe the court's ruling contains errors and we are considering an appeal. In addition, Thornton has caused incredible acrimony in Larimer County by pounding this pipeline down the throats of neighborhoods instead of using the Poudre River Option that would enhance the health and recreational opportunities of the Poudre. Further, Thornton's proposed mitigation fund -- likely as little as $5 million from the sale of two of the eight farms they will dry up in Larimer County -- feels more like a slap in the face rather than an earnest offering to heal the conflict and improve the River in exchange for their $500 million project to send 14,000 acre feet of Poudre water to the Denver suburb. In comparison, Northern Water is sending part of their NISP water down the Poudre and collaborated with Save The Poudre to create a $100 million Poudre River Improvement Fund to address the impacts of NISP, which is $2,500 per acre foot. Thornton's pathetic offering is about $360 per acre foot. Thornton had the opportunity to do the right thing and collaborate to help restore the river through Fort Collins, but instead chose the path of conflict and litigation that continues to drain the river." -- Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre ***end***
Colorado Rivers Press Release: Thornton Water Pipeline DENIED by Colorado State Court of Appeals
9/1/2022
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre and Save The Colorado, 970-218-8310
Colorado Rivers Press Release: Thornton Water Pipeline DENIED by Colorado State Court of Appeals
Fort Collins: Today, the Colorado State Court of Appeals in Denver upheld a lower court’s ruling that denied the City of Thornton the right to build a water pipeline across northern Larimer County north of Fort Collins.
For several years, Thornton has tried to build a water pipeline across northern Larimer County to transfer water from over 20,000 acres of farms down to the City of Thornton. In 2018, the Larimer County Commissioners denied a permit for the pipeline, and Thornton sued the County. Save The Poudre, which has about 1,000 members in Larimer County, and another neighborhood group, No Pipe Dream, both intervened in the case to support Larimer County which was sued by Thornton. The pipeline proposes to transfer over 14,000 acre feet of water from farms down to Thornton.
Pipeline opponents, Save The Poudre and No Pipe Dream, argued that Thornton should run the water down the Cache la Poudre River through Fort Collins until it reached the Town of Windsor and then divert the water into a pipeline, thus restoring flows to a critically endangered 12-mile section the Poudre River.
“We’ve told Thornton for over 10 years that the water should flow down the Poudre River through Fort Collins,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. “This is potentially a win-win project, but Thornton refuses to use the River as a conveyance and continues to waste everyone’s time and money in court.”
Thornton must now decide if it will appeal the ruling to the Colorado Supreme Court, or propose a new pipeline route in Larimer County, or simply let the water flow down the Poudre River to Windsor which is an outcome that doesn’t even require any kind of permit in Larimer County.
“Once again, we offer to collaborate with Thornton rather than litigate,” said Wockner. “By working together, we can restore the Poudre River and Thornton can get the water.”
Save The Poudre’s mission is to protect and restore the Cache la Poudre River of northern Colorado.
This press release is posted here.
***end***
