Latest news with #DenverWater
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Judge allows for completion of Denver Water's controversial Gross Dam construction
The massive enlargement of the Gross Dam in Colorado is back on. A federal judge has pulled back her previous injunction, stating in her decision, "Petitioners have not shown that they would be irreparably harmed if the Gross Dam construction were to be completed." Gross Reservoir CBS It means the completion of the dam is back on, after objections to a prior move by the judge filed by Denver Water, which operates the reservoir and sought the expansion in a process that dates back to 2002. Denver Water has said it needs additional capacity in its northern water system as it faces concerns about climate change and fires that could contaminate supplies. In a ruling out late Thursday, Federal District Court Judge Christine Arguello stated, "A permanent injunction prohibiting further construction of the Gross Dam is not merited due to safety concerns." The petitioners have been a consortium of environmental groups and neighbors of the project in southern Boulder County who filed a lawsuit in 2018 against Denver Water and the Army Corps of Engineers which approved the project, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their primary objections were to drawing water from the headwaters of the Colorado River on other side of the Continental Divide through the Moffat Water Tunnel, clearing the trees as part of the project to enlarge the reservoir, and effects on wildlife, including elk habitat. Arguello put the completion of the dam, which will be raised by 131 feet to accommodate enlarging capacity of the reservoir by nearly threefold, on hold back in April, then allowed some work to continue. In October Arguello had found the Army Corps of Engineers violated The National Environmental Policy Act as well as the Clean Water Act when it approved permits for the reservoir expansion. And she backed many of the opponents claims. The water to fill the expanded reservoir capacity would be moved from the headwaters of the Colorado River on the opposite side of the Continental Divide via the Moffat Tunnel. Denver Water has maintained that will only draw during periods when the tributaries are flowing well. In Thursday's ruling, Arguello found another kind of potential environmental injury -- in stoppage of the project. "There is a risk of environmental injury and loss of human life if dam construction is halted for another two years while Denver Water redesigns the structure of the dam and gets that re-design approved," she wrote. Gross Reservoir CBS In a statement, Denver Water wrote that it looks forward to finishing the project it called critical. "This added storage is of enormous importance to the 1.5 million people we serve, as well to our West Slope partners who support the environmental benefits to streams and fish habitat associated with the expansion. Denver Water will continue to work through the appellate court to resolve remaining issues and ensure this long-awaited project reaches completion." Those remaining issues also came out in the judge's order Thursday. It's not clear sailing yet for the reservoir expansion. The judge said the Army Corps of Engineers has to re-write environmental permits before the expanded reservoir can be filled to its new capacity.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts deploy 'Trojan' strategy to save rare species from extinction: 'We're excited'
A rare trout species native to Colorado is making a comeback with a surprising strategy called "Trojan trout." According to Denver Water, efforts to restore the green lineage cutthroat trout — a rare subspecies of Colorado River cutthroat — are showing signs of success. These fish have been in decline since the mid-1800s because of human activities like mining and logging. Invasive brook trout were also outcompeting native cutthroats. At one point, there were fewer than 40 of them counted in streams. But a collaborative project between the water company, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the U.S. Forest Service has more than tripled those numbers. Recent counts show more than 1,400 cutthroats in the creeks, thanks to years of electrofishing (a method that stuns and removes the invasive fish) and dam upgrades designed to block brook trout from swimming upstream. A new method being tried for the first time in Colorado is also helping — introducing "Trojan trout," or fish that only produce male offspring. Over time, biologists say this technique could naturally eliminate brook trout without harming other species. Restoring native fish like the cutthroat trout helps protect the balance of entire ecosystems. Unlike the invasive brook trout, the native green lineage cutthroat trout evolved with and has an important role in the local ecosystem. Losing them could throw the food chain out of balance, impacting other species, water quality, and local communities — all because nature is a web of interconnectivity. The project also shows how human-made problems can be solved through collaborative, innovative efforts. In Colorado, conservationists will continue to restore the native cutthroats with electrofishing, releasing "Trojan trout," and monitoring the population. On a broader scale, governments, conservation groups, and the public are working together to restore threatened species like bison, seabirds near Madagascar, and Australia's Gilbert's potoroo, a marsupial that was thought to be extinct. Individuals can help by educating themselves about critical climate issues, supporting clean water policies, and following Leave No Trace principles when enjoying the great outdoors. "We're excited to be able to help out with this effort to protect the cutthroat trout," said Jason Marks, an environmental planner at Denver Water. "This project is a great example of how multiple agencies can work together and we're all looking forward to more projects down the road." Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Denver Water to seek emergency appeal of judge's ruling on Gross Reservoir expansion in Colorado
Denver Water says it is seeking an emergency appeal to the 10th Circuit in Denver after a judge paused work on the half-billion dollar expansion of Gross Reservoir in southwest Boulder County. That work has now resumed under a temporary stay of two weeks and Denver Water says it is bringing workers back but worries about losing employees. "Our main concern is to bring our workforce back, be on the ready. Be ready to take care of the dam safety issues we have by quickly raising this dam," said Denver Water's program manager of the Gross Reservoir expansion project, Jeff Martin. Denver Water has been working on enlarging the dam since 2022 to nearly triple the reservoir's capacity. Crews were about to start the Spring construction season when Federal District Court Judge Christine Arguello issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the enlargement of the reservoir in her October decision on a lawsuit filed by some neighbors of the project and several environmental groups. "We're looking at every way to make sure that we can keep pushing the completion of Gross Reservoir expansion forward and make sure that we can supply a reliable water supply for Denver," said Martin about remedies that could include requesting help from the Trump Administration. Planning for the reservoir expansion began in 2002. Martin said they had met all requirements of permitting at local, state, and federal levels before starting construction, meeting requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. "All of the environmental impacts were analyzed in the NEPA process," said Martin. However, in October, Judge Arguello found that the Army Corps of Engineers violated NEPA and the Clean Water Act when permits for reservoir expansion were approved. And she backed many of the opponents' claims. "Among other things, the permitting process requires the applicant to consider the least environmentally damaging practical alternative," said neighbor Scott Engle, a member of an opposition organization that calls itself The Environmental Group. "There were other alternatives available that would cost the ratepayer a lot less money," said Engle. Opponents favored a pipeline from Denver Water's southern water system and opposed drawing water from the headwaters of the Colorado River on the opposite side of the Continental Divide. The water is to be moved via the Moffat Tunnel to the Gross Reservoir, but Denver Water has maintained that it will only draw during periods when the tributaries are flowing well. On Wednesday, Martin told journalists who visited the Gross Dam after an invite from Denver Water that the project will help Denver Water create a better supply and reserve in its Northern system. The project, he said, was to prevent shortages. "We want to be able to solve the issue and weather a drought. We want to be able to weather the next catastrophic event. The next climate uncertainty. We want to make sure we have water for a growing Denver area." But, opponents have noted that per capita water use has been falling and believe Denver Water should opt for more conservation. The two-week stay meant some workers were on the job Wednesday. However, the pouring of additional concrete has not happened yet with the project's future in question. "Right now, the best way we can take care of our workforce is by giving them a job," said Martin. "We're getting absolute ready so we can place concrete and start raising the dam," he said about hopes for a successful appeal.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legal battle continues over the fate of Gross Reservoir Dam Expansion Project
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Denver Water provided a tour Wednesday of the Gross Reservoir Dam Expansion Site in Boulder County which was 60% complete when a district court judge ordered construction to stop over environmental issues. Denver Water received a two-week stay and plans to appeal the work stoppage, but it's unclear how long the legal battle will take. Previous: Denver Water: Gross Reservoir Expansion Project ruling should 'raise alarm bells' Denver Water has already spent $450 million on the project and employs about 350 people. Project Manager Jeff Martin says the project is urgently needed to sustain a water supply for Denver Water's 1.5 million customers. Martin says they were granted all required local, state and federal permits to move ahead and started construction three years ago under an order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to complete the project by 2027. 'Over 350 people have dedicated their time, resources and passion to building what's behind us so Denver and the communities around Denver can have a bright and vibrant future, so we can have a reliable, clean water supply all the time to our tap,' Martin said. But a district court judge said the project violated federal environmental laws and that Denver Water took a risk starting construction while there were legal concerns. Environmental groups say the project is negatively impacting the area around the reservoir in Boulder County and will have a negative environmental impact down the Colorado River. List: Over $200M worth of HHS grant money was terminated in Colorado 'What happens in Denver doesn't stay in Denver. It has impacts across the southwest United States, and so that's one of the reasons why we dug in our heels against this project,' said Gary Wockner, director of the group Save the Colorado. 'The judge is requiring that more analysis happen of the alternatives so that Denver Water can meet its needs in other ways as opposed to a massive dam and reservoir expansion that further drains the Colorado River,' Wockner said. But Denver Water says it's already been through 15 years of analysis with the Army Corps of Engineers and others. 'Those are the experts that analyzed those impacts, and they were found to be quite mitigatable. We provided the mitigation for it, and then Denver Water went well beyond that and provided enhancements. We provided enhancements for the Upper Colorado River. We provided agreements on how we would draw out of there,' Martin said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Head of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visits Colorado to meet with state leaders
Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was in Colorado on Saturday to meet with state leaders, including Gov. Jared Polis. Zeldin is making his rounds, talking with as many people across the country as possible to gather information on potential ways to run the agency more efficiently. The visit came after he announced sweeping changes to the EPA last month and a week after EPA workers in Denver protested potential job cuts. "There's no message whatsoever that I'm here to deliver to anyone in region 8 about their jobs being in jeopardy," said the administrator. "That's not even part of the conversation." During a visit to Denver Water following his meeting with Polis, Zeldin shut down implications to reporters that Denver workers would be losing their jobs. But he didn't shy away from questions regarding his overall goal of shrinking the agency. "We do not want one more or one less than what we need to be able to do our job for the American people, and I think we owe that answer to the American taxpayer," he said. "If, at the end of the day, it's identified that somebody's in a particular position that doesn't fill a core statutory obligation, and it isn't fulfilling any of our power in the 'Great American Comeback initiative,' I would love to hear that feedback from the ranks," Zeldin added. His visit to Denver Water was an effort to collect feedback. "It's important to get out across the country. I feel like I can be a more effective administrator, that our team can be more effective, that the EPA can be more effective being out of Washington as much as possible in states and getting the feedback on the ground." The meeting could also be to the benefit of Denver Water as its CEO Alan Salazar took the opportunity to ask for the agency's help in getting the Gross Reservoir expansion project across the finish line. Last week, a federal judge ordered a halt to the construction of the $531 million project underway in Boulder County after finding assessments of its environmental impacts were flawed. During the discussion, Salazar was able to secure a meeting with the agency next week. "The most important thing for me to do is to do my homework. I got feedback here today that I can take back to DC with me. I could reflect on it, and it's good that Denver Water will be in Washington, D.C. next week; they can meet with leadership in Washington." Zeldin's visit to Colorado ended with a tour and a message of collaboration. "We believe in advancing cooperative federalism. We want a strong partnership with the state of Colorado."
