Spring Break
Proposed water project draws fire from local environmental groups
Matt Minich
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: News
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Million's proposed project, called the Regional Watershed Supply Project, would divert 250,000 acre-feet from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Green River in Wyoming for use in southern Wyoming and Colorado.
He originally thought of the project while he was a student at CSU.
Million said Colorado is facing an "environmental disaster" created by water shortages in recent years and said his project would alleviate some water concerns along Colorado's Front Range.
An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover an acre of land in a foot of water -- it comes out to just over 27,000 gallons. According to a press release from the Save the Poudre Coalition, this is just under the Poudre River's entire native flow of 260,000 acre-feet.
The diverted water would follow a pipeline stretching across southern Wyoming from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, feeding Lake Hattie Reservoir just east of Laramie. The pipeline would then head south, pumping water into the proposed Cactus Hill Reservoir west of I-25 near Fort Collins and roughly follow the interstate to the proposed T-Cross Reservoir near Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
Million's project is currently being evaluated by the Army Corps of Engineers, who held the latest in a series of meetings to garner public input on the project's environmental impacts Monday night at Fossil Ridge High School.
This public outreach is a part of the Corps' efforts to draft an Environmental Impact Statement for the project, said Rena Brand, the project manager. The initial draft of the EIS is estimated to be completed by 2012, which would make it possible for the project to be approved as soon as 2014.
"The Corps of Engineers is not a proponent or opponent of the project," said Brand, who hosted the meeting and took input from at least 50 attendees.
While Million said his project was the least environmentally damaging option proposed to deal with water issues in Colorado, many attending the meeting said they opposed the project because of potential environmental damage. Complaints about the project included environmental concerns and questions about land use and the privatization of water in Colorado.
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