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 than on-channel. Further yet, if Fort Collins is a participant in NISP, we think it creates an opportunity for NISP to be operated in a way that is more beneficial to the Poudre River. We all know that Fort Collins has a very long and earnest history of working hard, and committing money, to protect and enhance the Poudre River, its riparian corridor through the City, and the whole Poudre watershed.

If NISP does not move forward and Fort Collins builds the new large dam at the Halligan site, we believe that Fort Collins should strongly step in to work with partners to support projects that are identified in the NISP Settlement Agreement. Our goal and vision is to create an ecologically healthy, in-river recreational corridor — for tubing, boating, and fishing — from Gateway Park in the Canyon, through Fort Collins, and downstream to Eastman Park in Windsor. It’s an ambitious vision and we are working hard to achieve it!

We’ll keep you posted as we learn more, and we greatly appreciate your support!

You can donate online to Save The Poudre by clicking here.

— Gary Wockner, Director, Save The Poudre

Hi Friends of Freer-Flowing Rivers in Colorado and Beyond,

The whole world seems to be talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the trillions of dollars it is both demanding and creating. At the same, time, there is an explosion in the ways that AI is being used in the field of environmental conservation that we’ve been tracking closely to see if there’s a role for us to use AI to make a difference protecting rivers.

Before I get to that, I want to give you some updates on how Save The Poudre, Save The Colorado, and Save The World’s Rivers are going to operate in 2026.

After January 1st, both Save The Poudre and Save The Colorado are legally “merging” into Save The World’s Rivers. We will consolidate our non-profit corporations to streamline expenditures and be more effective. If you’re a member of Save The Poudre, you will no longer receive emails through “mailchimp,” but rather through this email sender. Both Save The Colorado and Save The World’s Rivers emails will remain and look the same.

All three websites — Save The Poudre, Save The Colorado, and Save The World’s Rivers — will still operate the same, as will all three donation pages. The only visible change will be that Save The Poudre and Save The Colorado will now be “programs” of Save The World’s Rivers. You’ll still see my face and name on everything as we paddle forward into 2026 working to protect rivers here in Colorado and Beyond.

So, what are our plans for 2026?

First, Save The Poudre will likely make a couple important and positive announcements in the coming months about how the $100 million “Poudre River Improvement Fund” (PRIF) will operate. In addition, we will be working hard to support our three great volunteer members of the PRIF, including our fearless leader and boardmenber, Mark Easter. We’re optimistic that the future of the Poudre will be more ecologically healthy and include more recreational opportunities from Gateway Park in the Canyon all the way downstream to Eastman Park in Windsor. Your support has made all the difference in the past, and we will keep pressing forward to fulfill our mission, and your vision, in 2026. An important reminder that Save The Poudre does not receive any of the $100 million — it will ALL be spent on the Poudre River itself.

Second, Save The Colorado will continue its important work of addressing the threat of new dams and diversions across the Southwest U.S. As the Colorado River’s health collapses and the state negotiators struggle to reach an agreement on how to manage the River, our work to address the threat of more dams and diversions is as important as ever. We will also continue pushing our “Rights of Nature for Rivers” program forward, as well as advocating for major structural changes (like decommissioning!) at Glen Canyon Dam. While Rights of Nature and changes to Glen Canyon Dam are longterm visionary efforts, it’s just these types of consequential systemic changes that the Colorado River needs to be sustainable in the future. In January, we will also have an exciting announcement about our work on state water rights in Colorado (hint: it involves the Shoshone power plant instream flow right :-)).

Finally, Save The World’s Rivers continues to branch out across the U.S. and beyond. In 2026, we’ll be announcing a coalition effort in California we are engaging in, as well as the beginning of a program to support more “Wild River National Parks” across the planet. We were thrilled to visit the first Wild River National Park on the Vjosa River in Albania last year, and we hope to be announcing a campaign for another Wild River National Park in Asia soon in 2026. So stay tuned for all of that fun!

Oh, and what about Artificial Intelligence? We are learning as much as possible to try and be as effective as possible in our river conservation work. Check out this new blog on our website, “Can Artificial Intelligence Help Protect and Restore Rivers?” (Click here to read it) The field is exploding and we like to be at the cutting edge of everything we do. The answer is “Yes, AI can help protect rivers,” and we hope to be engaging more in 2026.

It’s SOLELY YOUR SUPPORT that keeps us paddling forward. We are a small, grassroots, people-powered river-conservation organization and your support is the power behind our paddles.

You can donate online by clicking here. 

Enjoy the New Year and Happy Holidays,

Gary Wockner

Hi Friends of the Poudre,

As we head into the end of the year and Colorado Gives Day, we want you to know that we are still working hard to protect and restore the Poudre River, and we continue to seek your financial support.

First, this year, we did finally resolve our long-standing fight over the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), and now we head into a new phase of supporting our team on the Poudre River Improvement Fund. Led by our amazing boardmember, Mark Easter, the Fund team has been meeting monthly to start planning for how to spend the $100 million settlement to improve and enhance the River. In addition, we are already planning about how to engage additional Foundations, Corporations, and Philanthropists to create a “matching fund” for the Poudre River Improvement Fund so we can maximize the impact and seriously catalyze change. We’re excited for this new level of engagement!

Second, we are still in a process of evaluating the City of Fort Collins’ proposed new large dam at the Halligan site on the North Fork of the Poudre River. With NISP getting built, and with NISP appearing to have extra space in Glade Reservoir due to some of its participants dropping out, it could make sense for Fort Collins to join NISP or store its water in Glade Reservoir. So, instead of building a larger new on-channel dam on the North Fork, water and environmental impacts could be contained and better managed by having Fort Collins join NISP. We are continuing to educate ourselves about the best path forward for Fort Colins.

Third and finally, we never stop keeping our eyes open for both threats and opportunities to protect and restore the Poudre. Our team of supporters and volunteers vigilantly patrols the River, the news, and city/county meetings to keep us informed about everything happening. We stand ready to engage and support as threats and opportunities pop up.

Thank you for all of your support over the last 20 years!
To The Future of the Poudre River!

Gary Wockner
Director, Save The Poudre

Hi Friends of the Poudre,

We want to give you an update on all of our work, especially on projects you may be reading about in the newspaper. It’s been a long 20-year adventure for Save The Poudre, much of which is winding down, while new projects are winding up.

First, the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). Recall that we reached a settlement agreement with NISP that dedicated $100 million to the Poudre River Improvement Fund (PRIF). The PRIF committee, of which we appoint 3 members, is now meeting on a monthly basis. They have begun to outline the 15-year work plan ahead of them, and will slowly start identifying projects to spend the money on. We are very pleased with how the process is proceeding, and we are optimistic that the money will be well spent. We will let you know when the first project is funded, which may be in 2026.

You likely also read that NISP is facing some uncertainty because the largest participant — the Fort Collins Loveland Water District — is threatening to drop out. We don’t have any additional information about this, but we are monitoring the situation closely. The PRIF is only funded if NISP moves forward, and the money alloted to PRIF depends on construction benchmarks including the construction of the Glade Reservoir dam. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

Second, the Thornton Pipeline. You may have read in the newspaper this week that we decided not to appeal the decision from the district court judge who approved the pipeline by ruling against our lawsuit. We made this decision because this judge’s ruling is now the third time that the courts have ruled that Thornton can’t be forced to send their water down the Poudre River rather than in a pipeline north of Fort Collins.

The first ruling was back in the year 2020, when a district court judge ruled that Thornton violated the County land use code and had to change the route of the pipeline, but couldn’t be forced to put the water in the river. The second time was when that same case came before the state court of appeals which upheld the district court judge’s ruling. And the third time was just last month on our new and most recent lawsuit where a different judge ruling against us and our effort to force Thornton to put the water in the River.

There are numerous legal details about why we thought the third time might be the charm, including that the County land use code had changed, and that the Thornton application was completely different. But, as they say, three strikes and you’re out — it makes no sense for us to appeal and waste our supporters’ donations when we have been repeatedly ruled against by different judges and different levels of courts. The Pipeline will get built.

Finally, Fort Collins’ “Halligan Project”. The City of Fort Collins is proposing to tear down Halligan down northwest of Fort Collins on the North Fork of the Poudre River, and replace it with a larger dam a hundred yards downstream. The new dam would also be on the channel of the river, even taller at around 100 feet, and is currently predicted to cost over $300 million of Fort Collins ratepayers’ money. We have been monitoring and commenting on this project for nearly 20 years.

We are currently having conversations with the City about “alternatives” that were identified in the Army Corps Environmental Impact Statement. One alternative is to store the City’s water in NISP’s Glade Reservoir, or even to be a participant in NISP, options that we are further investigating. Glade Reservoir is “off-channel” which is generally less environmentally damaging than a dam “on-channel,” but many details need to be understood and investigated before we take a formal stance.

Through all of this, we continue to keep our eyes and minds focused sharply on the ecological health of the river, the amount of water flowing in the river, and what’s best for the river. 

Thanks for reading and all of your support! Feel free to reach out.

Gary Wockner, Director, Save The Poudre