Glade Reservoir: More fact than fiction?

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Fifty-five years after Horsetooth Reservoir was completed, it's looking likely that another large reservoir will be built in northern Colorado. Glade Reservoir, which would be located north of Ted's Place, could become a reality as soon as 2012.

Glade would be larger than Horsetooth Reservoir, and proponents see the project as smart planning, helping to quench the thirst of a growing Front Range population. The additional water supply could also slow the erosion of agriculture in this area by providing developers with an alternative source of water.

About 200 people came out to learn more about the project on Aug. 17, when the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District hosted a meeting in Fort Collins. The public had questions and concerns about moving U.S. Highway 287, effects of the project on agriculture and the use of pumps versus gravity feed. Other issues included the geology of the site, recreation possibilities at Glade and the impact on the Munroe Canal.

Glade Reservoir, which has been discussed for many years, is part of the Northern Integrated Supply Project, geared to meeting the water needs of 14 water providers in northern Colorado. The $350 million project would be built in phases, starting with the highway relocation and followed by construction of Glade, then Galeton Reservoir northeast of Greeley. The partners would pay 100 percent of project costs, including the expense of moving Highway 287. The majority of funding, according to Carl Brouwer of NCWCD, would come from new water tap fees.

At present, the most likely highway route would be east of the reservoir, on property owned mostly by Holcim and formerly used for haul roads. Holcim is going ahead with reclamation of its former cement plant this fall, but not in the area identified as a possible 287 route.

Not everyone is thrilled by the possibility of shifting the highway east. Barb Henneberg, who lives at the corner of County Road 66 and Taft Hill Road, said her home would be about three-quarter mile from the new road, and she is distressed by the possible loss of peace and quiet.

"We looked from Loveland up to the Forks," she said, "and this was one of the few places where you didn't get highway noise." It's also one of the few farming areas left in the county, she added. She fears that if a highway goes in, it will be followed by businesses; she is also concerned about the antelope herd that moves through the area.

"Do we need this reservoir?" she asked. "Are we just going to keep paving over everything?"

Brouwer said a major disadvantage of a west-side road is the topography. The west side of the proposed reservoir has several steep valleys, which would require bridges.

Could help agriculture

"What happens if we don't do it?" Brouwer asked the Fort Collins crowd. Without the additional storage for domestic water use, he explained, water districts and cities would continue to buy up agricultural water rights, producing "20,000 acres of dry-up." That trend has been occurring for several years. Water managers predict that it will continue even if NISP goes forward, but at a slower rate.

NISP likely won't drive down the price of water, Brouwer predicted, as long as Front Range growth continues. However, costs could stabilize somewhat.

Glade Reservoir would have a storage capacity of 177,000 acre-feet and a dam about 250 feet high. Galeton Reservoir would have a capacity of 20,000 acre-feet. The project also involves possible exchanges between water rights on the Poudre and South Platte Rivers and an optional pipeline between Glade and Horsetooth Reservoirs.

The federal permitting process could take two or three years to complete. NISP partners must complete an environmental impact statement, which addresses issues such as water and air quality as well as the noise and visual impact of moving the highway. Partners hope to have a draft EIS completed by the end of 2005 and a record of decision, which will come from the Army Corps of Engineers, by the end of 2006. If the project makes it through the federal permitting process, partners will then proceed with design and construction. However, Brouwer said, if growth slows the project will also slow down.

Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland are not involved in NISP. "The largest cities have done a pretty good job of procuring their own water supplies," said Nicole Seltzer of NCWCD. The 14 NISP partners, which she termed "emerging providers," include water districts in Larimer and Weld counties, as well as the communities of Berthoud, Windsor, Erie, Fort Lupton and Fort Morgan.

Fort Collins and Greeley are working on a joint project, which would enlarge both Halligan Reservoir, owned by Fort Collins, and Seaman Reservoir, owned by Greeley. Both reservoirs are located on the North Fork of the Poudre. These projects are completely separate from NISP.

Glade Reservoir would cover part of the Munroe Canal, but water rights on the canal would not be affected, according to NCWCD. Seltzer said one option being considered is to use the Poudre Valley Canal to carry Munroe water around the reservoir.

"NISP can't legally impact the rights of people who own ditch shares, so we will find a way to make sure they won't be impacted," she stressed.

The following information was also presented at the Fort Collins meeting.

• Recreation: Boat ramps are a possibility at Glade, but the state or county would be in charge of recreational facilities. There will be no marina at Glade, because the partners want to be able to lower the level of the reservoir as water is needed.
• Homes impacted: Two homes, owned by NCWCD, would be flooded by Glade Reservoir. Residential properties would also be impacted by moving Highway 287.
• Pumps versus gravity feed: "We're picking our poison," said Brouwer. He said the group opted to build Glade, which will require pumping, rather than pulling water off the Poudre at a higher point and piping it downhill. "We're trying to have the least disruption on the river, especially the part that's used a lot," he said.
• Streamflow: Water would be diverted at the mouth of the canyon to fill Glade, so streamflows would be affected below that point but not above.
• Geology: The challenge at the Glade site is the same as at Horsetooth, a layer of porous limestone called the Lykins Formation. However, Brouwer said, the problem can be eliminated up front by proper dam design.
• Northern truck route: NISP managers don't plan to get involved with the truck route issue.
• Native American artifacts: The EIS process will address that issue.
• Water conservation: "Conservation will definitely be part of this process," Brouwer said. The 14 partners will need an additional 60,000 acre-feet of water by 2030, he said, and the NISP reservoirs will supply only half that amount.

What's next?

The Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency overseeing NISP, plans three meetings in September to hear the public's concerns about the project and its impacts. Meetings will be held Sept. 20 at the Eaton Country Club, Sept. 21 at the Fort Collins Lincoln Center and Sept. 22 at American Legion Post 4 east of LaPorte. All meetings will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m.