Green Light from Governor on NISP Mitigation Plan

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is on board with Northern Water’s plan to mitigate the impact of the proposed Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) on fish and wildlife, according to Brian Werner of Northern Water.

In November, the governor sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirming both his and the state’s position on the NISP Fish and Wildlife Mitigation and Enhancement Plan. That plan had been approved by both the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission and the Colorado Water Conservation Board earlier in the fall.

“In his letter to Army Corps Col. John Hudson, Gov. Hickenlooper indicated that his approval now becomes the official state position on NISP mitigation and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources,” according to a Northern Water news release.

Hickenlooper’s letter stated that the mitigation plan “maintains a balance between the development of the state’s water resources and the protection of the state’s fish and wildlife resources,” according to Northern Water.

“This is great news for the project and another huge box checked off,” NISP Mitigation Coordinator Jerry Gibbens said.

The Northern Integrated Supply Project is a proposed massive water storage project that would build two reservoirs – Glade Reservoir northwest of Fort Collins and Galeton Reservoir northeast of Greeley and east of Ault – and provide water to the 15 project participants. Fort Morgan and Morgan County Quality Water District are among those participants.

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But getting anything built involves both completion of the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for he project and getting a record of decision on a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Getting the state approval of the fish and wildlife mitigation plan is part of completing the final EIS, according to Werner.

“It’s just another box that we check off,” he said, pointing out that those involved with NISP were about to “enter our 14th year” of seeking a permit for the water storage project. Werner said things were “not speeding up” for NISP with this approval, but he called it “a significant development.”

Northern Water projects that the final EIS for NISP could be issued this spring, and then there would be a comment period held. Werner said such comment periods usually last between 60 and 90 days.

He said Northern Water does not expect anything new to show up, since so many studies have been completed and even a supplemental EIS was put together.

“At this point, nothing new’s going to jump out, we don’t think,” Werner said.

But he also pointed out that the various agencies involved in this process were “making sure everything is airtight” before any decisions were made.

“Hopefully, in the next year there will be some type of record of decision” from the Army Corps of Engineers on a permit for NISP, Werner said.

For the participants in NISP, everything currently is “status quo” until such decisions do get made.

“Northern Water staff are now focusing their efforts on the 401 Water Qualification Certification process with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,” the Northern Water news release stated.

And Northern Water and its consultants also are continuing some preliminary design work, including new representative graphics of what Glade Reservoir could look like, according to Werner.

“It’s fun to see the pictures,” he said.

But such graphics have not yet been created for Galeton Reservoir, Werner said, adding that it would be coming, though.

Fort Morgan and Morgan County Quality Water District have a vested interest in Galeton, since it is the NISP reservoir that likely would wind up primarily storing the water that would wind up getting pumped out to Morgan County.

Fort Morgan, alone, has spent more than $1.3 million toward NISP and the city’s 9 percent stake in it over the project’s 13 years of planning and studies so far.

And there could be another 10 to 12 years yet to go before NISP and its reservoirs conceivably would go online and the city would have water stored in Galeton Reservoir and pumped back to Fort Morgan.

But city officials were pleased at the news that at least one more step in that process had been completed.

“We are extremely pleased with the governor’s response!” Fort Morgan Water Resources/Utilities Director Brent Nation exclaimed to the Fort Morgan Times. “This is another important step in the journey of completing the NISP project.”

Still, both Werner and Nation have indicated they understand people’s frustration with the snail-like pace of the permitting process, let alone construction, for NISP. But such a lengthy timeline is not unusual for this large of a water storage project, they have said.

But if, or when, NISP would get built, it would provide enough water to give Fort Morgan water security for the future and whatever residential, commercial and industrial growth may come, according to Nation and Fort Morgan Mayor Ron Shaver.

Source: Fort Morgan Times