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E-Waternews | October 2022 |
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 Crews transport the new pipe segment that will connect the Colorado-Big Thompson Project to Chimney Hollow Reservoir.
One of the most time-sensitive aspects of the Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project is currently in progress – the Bald Mountain Interconnect. To complete this portion of construction, a shutdown of the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) Project is in place as crews cut into the existing infrastructure to tie in a 126-inch steel pipe with a 72-inch steel offtake (known as a wye) to add the ability to deliver water into Chimney Hollow Reservoir from the C-BT Project. This interconnect requires coordination, planning and communication between the Bureau of Reclamation, Northern Water, Barnard Construction and on-site subcontractors.
To keep water from flowing into Flatiron Reservoir, the first step was to install a bulkhead at the outlet of Pinewood Reservoir. Once the bulkhead was in place, crews cut into the existing concrete-encased tunnel connecting the two reservoirs to place the wye. This was the first time the tunnel had been exposed to sunlight since it was cast 70 years ago.
Once at the site, the 25,000-pound steel wye was loaded onto a and pulled up the hill by a D-10 bulldozer, the largest on site. The intricate process took nearly four hours before the wye was lifted in place by a crane and sealed into the existing C-BT infrastructure.
Crews will continue to work double shifts to complete this portion of the project by the end of November. Additionally, Reclamation is conducting maintenance during this time at the Adams Tunnel’s East Portal before C-BT Project water resumes flowing in mid-December.
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 Darren Nowels, water efficiency planner at Northern Water, is shown accepting the WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year Award given by the Environmental Protection Agency to Northern Water.
Northern Water Wins 2022 WaterSense Partner of the Year Award
Northern Water has once again been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency with the 2022 WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year Award. This marks the third consecutive award recognizing Northern Water’s promotion of WaterSense.
In recognition of Northern Water’s commitment to promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2021, Northern was honored Oct. 6 during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, along with 33 other awardees, including utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes and programs.
Northern Water conducts water conservation activities throughout the year, such as its Collaborative Water-Efficient Landscape Grant Program and its award-winning Conservation Gardens at Northern Water.
“We are honored to be recognized for a third year with this prestigious award,” said Esther Vincent, Director of Environmental Services at Northern Water. “Our partnership with WaterSense is critical to the water efficiency services we offer. It is a proven program with an established track record and credibility, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration.”
Read the full press release on our website.
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 From left, Northern Water Directors Sue Ellen Harrison, Gene Manuello and Dave Nettles have been reappointed to four-year terms.
Three Directors Reappointed to 4-year Terms
Three Northern Water Board members were reappointed in September to serve four-year terms for both the Northern Water and Municipal Subdistrict Boards. Although each District includes the same Board members, each Board elects its own leadership. The reappointed directors are Sue Ellen Harrison, Boulder County; Gene Manuello, Logan County; and David Nettles, Weld County. Each has been reappointed to a term that ends in 2026.
Harrison has been a director since 2009. Throughout her 35-year career as an attorney, she has focused on federal and state environmental issues including water quality, drinking water, wetlands and public utilities regulation. For nine years, Harrison was a member of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission and served as chair of the commission for a year.
Manuello has been a director since 2018. He has served as the president of the Sterling Irrigation Co. for the past 21 years and as agricultural sector representative on the South Platte Basin Roundtable for the past 13 years. He also served as a member of the Colorado Ag Water Alliance for 13 years, including time as its vice chairman. He is also a past president of the Colorado Cattleman’s Association.
Nettles has also been a director since 2018. He is a native of Louisiana and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Louisiana Tech and a master’s degree in agricultural engineering at Colorado State University. In 2010, Nettles was named the Colorado Division 1 Water Engineer, managing water resources in the South Platte, Laramie and Republican river basins. He retired from that position in June 2018.
The 13-member Northern Water Board represents portions of eight Northeastern Colorado counites: Boulder, Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Washington, Logan, Sedgwick and Broomfield. Directors serve four-year terms; govern and set policy, and direct management and legal counsel.
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 Northern Water Board President Mike Applegate cuts the ribbon at the new Willow Creek Campus in Grand County. The building will hold the offices, maintenance shops and operations center for Northern Water's West Slope staff.
Current and former Northern Water employees, Grand County dignitaries and members of the public congregated at the Willow Creek Campus near Lake Granby on Friday Oct. 7, to take a peek inside what will be the new home for Northern Water West Slope staff.
The new building includes space for offices, equipment maintenance, project operations and more. RB+B Architects of Fort Collins designed the building, and Adolphson and Peterson Construction was the general contractor.
 The 2022 Fall Symposium will be Nov. 15 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
Registration is now at capacity for Northern Water’s Fall Symposium, set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. We continue to accept names for the waitlist. Doors will open at 8 a.m. for check-in and to allow attendees to network.
Northeastern Colorado water users will hear from multiple speakers about Colorado River challenges and their regional implications, as well as the intricacies of land use and water planning in times of water scarcity. The program weaves the theme of change and adaptative strategies throughout the Symposium.
Additional presentations at the event will include a look ahead at reinvesting in our forests and protecting our source watersheds, as well as offer brief updates on the Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project and the Northern Integrated Supply Project.
If you have any questions, please email events@northernwater.org.
 The Hansen Feeder Canal west of Loveland conveys tens of billions gallons of water each year to Horsetooth Reservoir. Crews work diligently each year to ensure its capabilities.
Crews from Northern Water’s Distribution Systems Department recently completed the sealing of more than a mile of the Hansen Feeder Canal above Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch west of Loveland.
In recent years during ongoing maintenance checks, the department identified areas that were seeping water and determined the best course of action was to spray polyurea between the concrete panels lining the canal to seal cracks. Polyurea is a long-lasting material that is placed on cracked joints of concrete to seal the canal. Polyurea was also applied to the joint that connects the tunnel sections of the canal to the lined open canal sections.
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Join Our Team
With an inviting culture and long-standing history, Northern Water is committed to hiring and retaining the best employees. Our organization is growing and we’re seeking employees who are passionately committed to helping Northern Water continue its mission to collect and deliver water.
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