Save the Poudre plans anti-NISP ballot initiative

A day after the Fort Collins City Council OK'd staff talking with Northern Integrated Supply Project backers, opponents to the water storage proposals are looking to put a referendum on the fall ballot.

After hearing dozens of public comments, and having their email inboxes flooded with input, the council voted 6-1 late Tuesday night to take a place at the table with the Northern Water Conservancy District, the lead proponent of NISP and representative of 15 backers of the project. NISP would include two new reservoirs, including one fueled by the Poudre Rive that would be near the mouth of the Poudre Canyon.

Council members were also clear that they didn't view opening discussions as giving in to the project. Councilman Bob Overbeck — the only vote against it — added to the Tuesday resolution that the council outright opposed the project in 2008 and voted in 2015 not to support the project in its current form. The word "negotiate" and phrase "mutual interests," referring to the city and Northern Water, were also struck from the resolution.

Nonetheless, Gary Wockner, of Save the Poudre, said his group is looking at putting the question of whether the city should support NISP before city voters.

"There was an overwhelming majority of public input indicating the city should actively oppose the project," Wockner said Wednesday. "We think it would be good to get more clarity from voters in the fall, on the ballot."

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Advocacy group Save the Poudre conducted an opinion poll, via 556 automated phone calls, which results found an overwhelming amount of opposition to the project among city voters.

About 50 of the 60 or so people who made public comment Tuesday opposed the resolution or NISP outright.

Wockner said the change to language made the resolution more palatable overall but didn't change the substance. That would be up to staff, he said.

John Stokes, head of the city's natural areas department, said Wednesday staff was happy to get more direction from council, in terms of having discussions with Northern Water regarding city concerns and mitigation proposals. He was also clear that staff didn't view it as authority to make any decisions regarding the city's support or efforts of NISP.

"Council makes the decisions about all of this, and, clearly, if we're going to make any progress on this, it needs to be with council on board," he said.

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Brian Werner, spokesperson for Northern Water, said his group was grateful to be able to have more robust conversations about NISP with the city. There have been some talks with the city about its concerns, but it always felt "sort of like walking on egg shells," without formal backing, Werner said.

He noted Northern Water and its constituents have already shifted plans to address concerns about low-flow periods of when the Poudre River might dry up by including promises of base flows. Werner cited the city's softening positions between 2008 and 2015 as proof of Northern Water's efforts.

"They've gone from an almost hell no, to a we're not happy right now, but maybe make some changes and come back with another proposal," Werner said. "... I would argue that shows we've been listening to Fort Collins as we've been trying to craft and draft this plan."

NISP would lead to the creation of Glade Reservoir and Galeton Reservoir, which would pull water from the Poudre River to create extra storage for 15 Northern Colorado municipalities and water districts, but not the city of Fort Collins. Glade Reservoir would be about the size of Horsetooth Reservoir and be built northwest of Fort Collins. Galeton Reservoir would be built near Greeley, which would draw from the South Platte River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to issue its final environmental impact statement on NISP later this year, with a decision on if the project can move forward expected in 2018. If permitted, its construction could begin in 2025.

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This story has a correction: Only one proposed reservoir would draw from the Poudre River. The proposed Galeton Reservoir, which would be near Greeley, would draw from the South Platte River.