 A "rooster tail" is formed by the water descending the Granby Dam spillway on July 19.
A cool and wet spring in Northern Colorado coupled by unusual late snowstorms combined to top off the Colorado-Big Thompson Project in 2019.
At Lake Granby, water reached the spillway over the weekend of July 13-14. In the days before that, managers had been releasing additional water into the Colorado River to make room for incoming snowmelt.
Because of a storm that dumped snow on the headwaters of the Colorado River on June 21, the inflow into Lake Granby climbed significantly. While earlier models had indicated Lake Granby wouldn't fill, that storm boosted streamflows considerably.
Northern Water was not the only organization surprised by the late snowmelt and heavy late-season storms. Denver Water, which manages Lake Dillon and collects water at the headwaters of the Fraser River, reported the snowpack that feeds its system was also far above normal this year.
 A crew from Northern Water installs a cage filled with Biochar into Church Creek earlier in July. The special charcoal product is being tested to see how well it removes unwanted materials from waterways.
Water quality experts at Northern Water are teaming with a local company to test the effectiveness of its product for use in streams.
Berthoud-based Biochar Now produces biochar from waste wood, such as trees removed from forest thinning or post-fire reclamation projects. Biochar is similar to charcoal, and is created by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment. At its Berthoud facility, Biochar Now uses steel kilns to create the product.
Once it is created, biochar can be placed in water to attract and lock in unwanted substances such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Those nutrients can cause algal blooms that degrade water quality.
The product is being tested in Church Creek, which is in the Upper Colorado Basin, and on the Upper Colorado River. In addition to testing its absorption of unwanted materials, the study will look at how best to deploy biochar.
For a video on the project, click here.
 A new consultation program offered by Northern Water can help plan your landscape.
Sometimes the hardest part of reducing the water use of your landscape is knowing where to start.
This summer, experts from Northern Water are helping local entities look at their water use, their landscapes and options as part of a new landscape consultation program offered by the organization.
The program is not intended for individual homeowners. Instead, it targets schools, municipalities, business and homeowner's associations. Consultants can offer advice on plant selection, irrigation technology and management, turf maintenance and more.
The consultations are 90 minutes to two hours long, and can help address long-term goals, budget targets and timelines.
The number of slots available for the consultations is limited. Click here for more information.
 A computer rendering shows the quarry and dam at Chimney Hollow west of Berthoud.
Members of the Windy Gap Firming Project team are working with a group of contractors as the deadline approaches for submitting a contract bid to build Chimney Hollow Reservoir.
Five companies met the qualifications to bid for construction of Chimney Hollow Reservoir, and four have chosen to proceed to the next step. As part of the process, project managers for the Windy Gap Firming Project are meeting with company representatives as they examine rock core samples, engineering documents and the site itself to get more familiar with the work to come.
The current schedule calls for a contractor to be selected by the end of 2019, with administrative work planned for early 2020. Groundbreaking would be later in 2020.
The Windy Gap Firming Project, which includes Chimney Hollow Reservoir, will bring 30,000 acre-feet of firm yield to 12 cities, water districts and a utility when it is complete.
Learn more about the project here.
 In this 1952 image taken from inside the footprint of Carter Lake, the original outlet works can be seen against the south dam.
By July 1950, water from west of the Continental Divide was being delivered through the Alva Adams tunnel to the East Slope. However, several construction challenges remained for the development of water storage for the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
In a valley west of Berthoud, engineers had identified a basin called "Carter's Lake" as a potential reservoir site. Locals called the spot "Blowers Lake," and were proud of the several quarries on the west side that produced high-grade sandstone for construction throughout the region. Several buildings on the University of Colorado campus, as well as in Berthoud, have the "Berthoud Pink" sandstone taken from the quarry early in the 20th century.
The first water was pumped into it from the Flatiron Pump Plant on Feb. 26, 1954.
At capacity, Carter Lake can hold 112,230 acre-feet of water, or about 36.5 billion gallons. It provides storage for the communities, industries and farms in southern Larimer County, Boulder County, southern Weld County and Broomfield. It also provides about 1,110 surface acres for recreation through the Larimer County Parks system.
Career opportunities at Northern Water
Northern Water has openings to join its staff in bringing water to users throughout the Northern Front Range.
Current openings include:
- A senior water resources engineer to providing engineering support and analysis for Northern Water and the Municipal Subdistrict, focusing on project operations modeling, water resources planning and hydrologic modeling.
- A water resources engineer, which is an entry level position under direct supervision of the Water Resources Department manager. This person will
provide engineering support and analysis for Northern Water and the Municipal Subdistrict on water resources engineering, water resources planning modeling and hydrologic modeling.
- An operations and maintenance fieldman for the West Slope Collection Systems Department to maintain, monitor, and operate reservoir and canal outlet works as well as perform many other duties.
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Upcoming events:
- Aug. 1: Northern Water and Municipal Subdistrict planning meeting, 9 a.m.
- Aug. 8: Northern Water and Municipal Subdistrict board meetings, 9 a.m.
- Aug. 20-22: Colorado Water Congress, Steamboat Springs
- Sept. 2: Labor Day, Northern Water offices are closed
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