 The Glade Reservoir site is seen from near the future site of the dam.
Efforts to secure a Larimer County land use permit, commonly called a 1041 permit, continue to advance for the Northern Integrated Supply Project.
This month, the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners is considering the permit application and taking public testimony regarding the proposed reservoir and pipeline systems. The commissioners will also consider dozens of conditions that will be placed on the permit if it is approved.
Last month, the Larimer County Planning Commission recommended approval for the permit. In a 4-2 vote, the Planning Commission confirmed the recommendation of county staff to approve development of Glade Reservoir, the management of recreation at the site and the location of the pipelines that would convey high-quality drinking water supplies to 15 municipalities and water districts.
Larimer County and Northern Water offered presentations to the commissioners on Aug. 17. Public testimony began on Aug. 24 and will continue on Aug. 31. The commissioners anticipate making a decision at a special meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
To learn more about the process, visit the county’s website or the Glade Reservoir website.
Several major wildfires burning in Colorado forests have underscored the importance of watersheds as protectors of water quality.
Northern Water staff are monitoring several fires in the north-central Rockies, including the Cameron Peak fire in Larimer County and the Williams Fork fire in Grand County.
The Cameron Peak fire, in the upper Cache la Poudre River watershed, started on Aug. 13 and has consumed more than 21,000 acres of forest. When runoff events occur later this fall and next spring, Northern Water crews, along with several other agencies having an interest in Poudre River water quality will closely monitor the river’s water quality to ensure the region’s drinking water supplies are protected.
The Williams Fork fire is burning near to the Fraser River watershed, which provides a significant proportion of the water for the Windy Gap Project. Northern Water crews will also work to ensure water quality is closely watched as runoff occurs. Learn more about our forest health initiatives on our website.
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 The Upper Colorado River flows through Grand County.
After more than a decade of work, a group of stakeholders has crafted an agreement to protect the outstandingly remarkable values of the Colorado River through the central portion of the state.
Northern Water has been a part of the Upper Colorado River Wild & Scenic Alternative Management Plan Stakeholder Group since its inception in 2007. Individual stakeholders representing state agencies, local governments, environmental groups, recreational interests, landowners and water providers have worked to develop a stakeholder-led alternative to a potential federal Wild and Scenic River designation.
The stakeholder group’s alternative management plan was approved by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in late June. With the approval, a long stretch of river from near Kremmling to Glenwood Springs will be protected with an emphasis on recreational boating and fishing.
Instead of top-down federal guidelines through a Wild and Scenic River designation, the stakeholder-created Alternative Management Plan will offer an approach that protects the values of the river while respecting the rights of water users both above and below the river reach identified in the plan.
Staff from Northern Water’s Engineering and Environmental Services divisions support and provide ongoing technical resources to the group. Northern Water is also interested in opportunities to coordinate Upper Colorado River operations in a way that continues to support the Outstandingly Remarkable Values identified in the plan. Learn more about Northern Water’s participation in the alternative management plan.
 The new Northern Water website offers improved accessibility while providing key data to water users throughout the region.
A new website now greets visitors to www.northernwater.org, providing a more modern user experience and access to key data for both water users and the general public.
The website incorporates a mobile responsive design enabling website access from any device. Other features include improved navigation, a robust search engine and a customized portal for water accounting and water management.
Our water account customers took part in a webinar demonstration of the new accounting portal prior to the website launch. The portal allows water users to easily manage accounts, order and transfer water, and access important documents, all on a mobile responsive platform.
This summer marks a milestone anniversary in Colorado’s history, set right in our own backyard.
Two hundred years ago, an exploratory expedition led by Maj. Stephen Long mapped and catalogued the flora and fauna of the Front Range.
From a camp near present-day Omaha, Nebraska, Long and his crew of soldiers, botanists, ethnographers and other scientists explored the Platte River. The expedition next ascended the South Platte River basin in Northeastern Colorado. Near Fort Morgan, expedition members first viewed the Rocky Mountains and believed the snow-capped peaks were just a few days travel away. Much later, the expedition camped near Platteville and described the 14,000-foot peak that would later bear Long’s name, pictured above.
After reaching the mouth of Platte Canyon south of present-day Denver, Long and his men traveled across the Palmer Divide and south to the Arkansas River. From there, one group followed the Arkansas River east, and Long selected a few men to travel south with him to find the upper reaches of the Red River. They were unsuccessful, learning that a river they had found and believed to be the Red was in fact the Canadian River, which joins the Arkansas in present-day Oklahoma.
The Long expedition is perhaps most famous for coining the phrase “Great American Desert” on the maps produced in its wake.
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Northern Water is hiring for the current open positions.
To learn more about Northern Water and for future openings, visit the Northern Water Careers page.
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Upcoming events:
- Sept. 3: Northern Water Board Planning Session, 9 a.m., Berthoud.*
- Sept. 10: Northern Water and Municipal Subdistrict board meetings, 9 a.m., Berthoud.*
* Note: In the event that the meetings are held via video conference, please find the details to access the meeting at www.northernwater.org.
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