Hi Friends of the Poudre, First, I want to give you an update on what's going on with the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) and the $100 million river conservation Settlement Agreement we reached with NISP last year. You've no doubt read a number of news stories that have called into question whether NISP is actually going to get built or not. Importantly, we don't have any great insight about the answer, but we note that Northern Water, and its General Manager, Brad Wind, are openly talking about the struggle that NISP is facing because of the project's dramatically increased costs. Recent stories have appeared in the Greeley Tribune and Colorado Sun. A few weeks ago, I was at the Poudre River Forum in Greeley speaking on stage alongside Brad. When asked directly whether NISP was going to get built, he said that the project was struggling and he'd know more in a few months. Brad also noted that NISP might have to be downsized because participants are dropping out, but again, there's not a firm answer to the question right now. At the Forum, I was also asked if Save The Poudre supports NISP getting built. The answer I gave is that we don't have a position on whether or not NISP should get built, but if NISP does get built we are 100% in support of the $100 million Settlement Agreement. In fact, the Agreement is a contract between Save The Poudre and NISP, and we absolutely will honor our side of the contract by working with NISP to invest the $100 million in conservation projects to achieve the best outcome for the River as possible. To that end, the Poudre River Improvement Fund Committee has been meeting regularly for the last 9 months. So far, NISP has contributed $5 million to the Fund, but the future contributions won't occur unless NISP moves forward. The Committee is deliberating about how it will move forward, as well, given the uncertainty around NISP, and given that many problems and projects on the River will need further study before they can receive settlement funds. We will keep you in the loop if and when we know more! Second, we've been having conversations with the City of Fort Collins about their proposal to build a large new dam on the North Fork of the Poudre at the Halligan site. We've been very open and public about our stance on Halligan, and how our stance is tied to NISP. In a nutshell, if NISP moves forward, we believe that Fort Collins should join NISP rather than build a new on-channel dam completely across the river at the Halligan site. In fact, with participants dropping out of NISP, there appears to be space in Glade Reservoir for Fort Collins to participate in NISP. Further, we strongly believe it makes more sense to build just one new water storage project in the Poudre watershed, not two, and Glade Reservoir is an off-channel storage project rather…
Save The Poudre Describes “Poudre River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund”
June 10, 2024
Poudre River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund
The Cache la Poudre River downstream of Gateway Park in Larimer County is severely degraded and multiple new dam, diversion, and pipeline projects would further degrade it. The current flow regime – peak flows, base flows, and 
ongoing average flows – is already severely compromised. If all of the dam/diversion projects are built, the degradation will be further compounded. To enhance the ecological and recreational value and uses of the river, and to help address the problems with peak and base flows, a “Poudre River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund” must be established to fund the following types of projects:
- Establish a “National Water Trail” from Gateway Park to the confluence with the South Platte.
- Rebuild all diversion structures so that fish can swim upstream and boats can pass downstream.
- Move diversion points downstream wherever possible so that water can flow farther downstream but still be gravity-fed to established ditches.
- Develop strategies for water sharing arrangements – including exchanges and trades – between agricultural and municipal users to enhance recreational and environmental uses.
- Develop a streamflow monitoring system that engages with cities and ditch companies – and the ditch rider – to make sure the river always has a “base flow” adequate for aquatic health, and eliminates dry-ups.
- Clean the Poudre River – including city stormwater outfalls and agricultural ditch return flows – to allow the river to be used as a conveyance for municipal water and to improve the water quality.
- Construct “channel enhancement” to narrow the river so that streamflow is deeper and cooler for better health of aquatic life and boating recreation.
- Re-connect the river to its floodplain to increase the health of the riparian corridor.
- Improve water quality and natural storage in degraded headwater areas, using nature-based ecological restoration processes.
- Construct irrigation ditch “pump-up” systems that let water run farther downstream to be pumped back up to the same ditch.
- Acquire and develop additional water supplies to increase flows in the Cache la Poudre River.
We estimate that between $100 million and $200 million is needed to fully establish an ecological healthy and recreationally functional Poudre River and a National Water Trail.
(This Fund description is a work in progress as of 6/10/2024 and may be changed.)
