Public comment sought on Moffat Project

Here’s the release from Denver Water (Stacy Chesney):

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Denver Water’s Moffat Collection System Project, which proposes to enlarge Gross Reservoir north of Boulder.

Denver Water is proposing the project to help resolve three major water supply challenges it is facing:

1. the risk of a near-term water supply shortfall;
2. the risk of running out of water in the north end of its system during a single dry year;
3. and a serious imbalance in its water collection system, in which about 80 percent of the supply exists on the south side of the system.

The project is part of Denver Water’s multi-pronged water strategy to increase supply and decrease demand by implementing an aggressive conservation plan, completing and expanding its recycled water distribution system and developing additional water supply.

“Our customers have done an excellent job of conserving water, and we have been completing our recycled water system,” said David Little, director of planning. “These strategies are helping extend our supplies into the future. It is imperative, however, that we develop additional supply to correct the imbalance in our system and secure water for our future. We believe the best solution is to produce new water supply by expanding an existing reservoir instead of building a new reservoir.”

The Moffat Collection System Project proposes raising Gross Dam by approximately 125 feet. Gross Reservoir is fed by tributaries of the Colorado River and South Boulder Creek, and feeds the north side of Denver Water’s system. If approved, the Moffat Project would produce 18,000 acre-feet of new supply — enough water for roughly 45,000 households annually.

“We have been working with interest groups and local agencies to develop plans to offset environmental impacts of the Moffat Project and to provide significant environmental enhancements for the communities affected by the project,” said Little. “Denver Water is committed to encouraging wise use of the water we serve and to using our facilities and resources to enhance the environment in the watersheds we use.”

Denver Water, Grand County, the cities of Boulder and Lafayette, environmental groups and others still are discussing the proposed environmental enhancements, which go far beyond what the Corps requires for mitigating impacts caused by the Moffat Collection System Project. These enhancements will benefit tributaries to the Colorado River in Grand County and South Boulder Creek in Boulder County, among other locations.

The enhancements offered by Denver Water include:

- up to 2,000 acre-feet of additional water for augmenting streamflow in Grand County;
- $2 million for improving water quality in Grand County;
- $2 million for stream modifications to improve aquatic habitat in Grand County; and
- a partnership with Boulder and Lafayette to provide 5,000 acre-feet of storage space in an enlarged Gross Reservoir to improve aquatic habitat in South Boulder Creek.

Denver Water is encouraging public participation in the two federal regulatory processes occurring for the Moffat Collection System Project. The two processes are:

An amendment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Gross Reservoir hydropower license<br.
An application for a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Draft EIS and Draft FERC Hydropower License Amendment were published Friday, Oct. 30. Each document has a 90-day comment period ending Jan. 28, 2010.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold three Public Hearings on the Draft EIS. At each location, Denver Water will hold an Open House from 4 to 6 p.m. The Public Hearings begin at 6 p.m.:

Tues., Dec. 1 — Boulder Country Club, 7350 Clubhouse Road, Boulder, CO 80301
Wed., Dec. 2 — Inn at Silver Creek, 62927 U.S. Highway 40, Granby, CO 80446
Thurs., Dec. 3 — Doubletree Hotel, 3203 Quebec Street, Denver, CO 80207

See more information on how to comment on the Draft EIS and Draft FERC Amendment.

More Moffat Collection System Project coverage here.

Denver Water: Rate adjustment on tap for 2010?

Here’s a release from Denver Water (Stacy Chesney):

Denver Water staff presented to the Board of Water Commissioners a preliminary proposal to adjust water rates for 2010 at its meeting Wednesday. The adjustment will help fund the utility’s 10-year capital plan.

The 10-year plan includes 300 projects, including upgrades to aging infrastructure to prevent putting reliable water service at risk.

The plan also calls for expansion of the utility’s system capacity to meet the future needs of its customers. Over the next 10 years, the utility plans to expand its recycled water system, enlarge Gross Reservoir by 18,000 acre-feet, finish developing gravel pits that store reusable water, and explore ways to work with other water providers to bring more supplies to its system.

Denver Water has determined the cost of making repairs and replacements to its aging infrastructure and building new supply within its system will total $1.3 billion over the next 10 years.

“Our water system is aging; some of our facilities are more than 100 years old. We need to be more proactive in our work to repair, maintain and upgrade our assets,” said Brian Good, director of operations and maintenance. “Next year’s projects include increased main replacements, more cement mortar lining of pipes to extend their useful life and upgrading underground vaults. We also will be doing major upgrades at the Marston Treatment Plant, replacing gates at Cheesman Dam that date back to the early 1900s, and installing a new hydropower turbine at Williams Fork Reservoir.”

In 2010 the water department will need an additional $13.5 million in revenue to cover rising costs associated with maintaining and improving the city’s water system. Denver Water owns and maintains 2,800 miles of distribution pipe — enough to stretch from Los Angeles to New York — as well as 12 raw water reservoirs, 22 pump stations and four treatment plants. Rehabilitation and replacement of infrastructure is needed throughout the water distribution system, much of which dates back to post-World War II installation or earlier.

Under the current rate proposal, average Denver residential customers would see their bills increase by about $40 a year — an average of $3.30 per month, or about $12 on a summer bill. Typical suburban residential customers served by Denver Water would see an increase of $51 per year — an average of $4.30 per month, or about $16 on a summer bill. The effects of the proposed changes on customer bills would vary depending upon the amount of water the customer uses and whether the customer lives in Denver or is served by a suburban distributor under contract with Denver Water; the more customers use, the more they will pay.

If the proposed adjustments are approved, they would take effect February 2010. Rates for Denver Water customers living inside the city would remain among the lowest in the metro area, while rates for Denver Water residential customers in the suburbs would still fall at or below the median among area water providers.

Denver Water is funded through rates and new tap fees, not taxes. Its rates are designed to recover the costs of providing reliable, high-quality water service and to encourage efficiency by charging higher prices for increased water use. Most of Denver Water’s costs are fixed and include maintenance of the system’s distribution pipes, reservoirs, pump stations and treatment plants. Denver Water also examines and adjusts its capital plan as necessary each year.

The Board is expected to vote on the proposed changes on Wednesday, Oct. 28, after considering public comment. Public comment will be taken at the Oct. 14, 9:15 a.m., and Oct. 28, 9 a.m., Board meetings. The meetings are open to the public and will be held at Denver Water, 1600 W. 12th Ave. Public comment also will be taken at Denver Water’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee meeting, Thursday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m., at Denver Water. Comments also may be sent to the Board via e-mail at dbwc@denverwater.org.

Details of the 2010 rates proposal are posted. Members of the public who have questions about the proposed rate adjustment may call 303-628-6320.

More Denver Water coverage here.

Boulder Creek fish kill

From the Boulder Daily Camera (John Aguilar):

The portion of the creek — between the Millennium Harvest House hotel and 28th Street — where 263 fish died on Aug. 20 was very shallow that day, the city said in a press release. It said the low stream flow was likely due to depleting snowmelt at high elevations and to upstream water rights owners pulling water from the creek. Flows on that portion of Boulder Creek were estimated to be around 1 cubic feet per second or less and stream temperatures topped out at 66 degrees Fahrenheit, the city said.

More Boulder Creek coverage here and here.

Denver Water: Moffat Collection System and the proposed expansion of Gross Reservoir

Say hello to the shiny new Denver Water website. I’m most excited about the RSS feed for their news page. You Coyote Gulch readers know I crave Colorado water news.

At any rate check out the new part of the website for the expansion Gross Reservoir, part of Denver Water’s Moffat Collection System. They write:

If approved, the project would produce 18,000 acre-feet of new supply by expanding an existing reservoir rather than building a new one. The current dam height would increase from 340 feet to approximately 465 feet. The proposed project would increase Gross Reservoir from its current storage capacity of 41,811 acre-feet to approximately 114,000 acre-feet – an increase of 72,000 acre-feet. (Denver Water has determined four acre-feet of storage are needed for every one acre-foot of supply.)

Because Gross Reservoir was originally designed to be this larger size, other facilities, such as the Moffat Tunnel and South Boulder Canal, do not need to be modified and no additional water rights are needed. The additional water would be carried through the existing Moffat Tunnel from the Fraser River basin and Williams Fork River basin in Grand County, as well as from South Boulder Creek basin. Streamflow in the Fraser and Williams Fork rivers and South Boulder Creek would only be decreased by this project during wet and average years during the runoff months.

Denver Water officials anticipate that the Corps of Engineers draft environmental impact statement for the project will be released in the next few weeks.

More Denver Water coverage here and here.

South Boulder Creek: Water for instream flow to be part of Gross Reservoir expansion?

Here’s a look at a proposal to add 5,000 acre-feet or so to Denver Water’s expansion of Gross Reservoir for instream flow in South Boulder Creek, from Clay Evans writing for the Boulder Daily Camera. From the article:

Denver Water authorities are pursuing permission to draw even more water from the Fraser River to nearly triple the storage in Gross Reservoir. While that will put a much bigger “straw” into the Fraser — and, of course, the Colorado — some are asking that the plan be slightly expanded to provide much-needed water for South Boulder Creek.

The cities of Boulder and Lafayette and Trout Unlimited, the national conservation organization with an office in Boulder, aren’t exactly thrilled with the idea of further allocating water from the Fraser. But if it’s going to happen, as most expect it will, they’d like to see 5,000 acre-feet of storage added to the proposed 72,000-acre-feet expansion and use it to ensure adequate winter flow in South Boulder Creek. “It’s a stream that needs help,” said Drew Peternell of Trout Unlimited.

The problem, as always, is how to pay for it all. The additional storage for South Boulder Creek would cost around $8 million. Lafayette, Boulder and Denver have said they’d help fill the pitcher, but not enough to top off the project, according to Denver Water.

More instream flow coverage here.

Here’s a release from Denver Water via YourHub.com:

This summer’s wet weather has many people shutting off their lawn sprinklers to take advantage of what Mother Nature is offering, and Denver Water couldn’t be happier. Customers are using less water this year compared to recent years, but that’s prompted some to ask what it means for the utility’s revenues.

In March 2009, Denver Water reduced its operating budget by 12 percent and adjusted its 2009 revenue expectations downward by 5 percent to respond to the downturn in the economy. However, due to the unusually wet weather, the utility anticipates an additional $16.4 million – or 8 percent – less revenue than expected for the year, which will be covered by reserves the utility maintains for seasonal variations.

“We aggressively encourage conservation and wise water use and plan our budget accordingly,” said Chips Barry, manager of Denver Water. “Our customers continue to do a great job using water efficiently, so we expected water usage to be down because of our conservation plan. However, we’ve had an unexpectedly wet summer, and as a result, actual water use through July is even lower – about 18 percent less than we anticipated compared to recent years. Our financial planning routinely factors in variables like Denver’s weather, so a single year of extra precipitation doesn’t force us to do anything out of the ordinary.”

Denver Water’s rates are based on mostly fixed costs for infrastructure and on operating expenses that don’t change if water use fluctuates. While it is too early to know what Denver Water’s rates will be for 2010, the utility says customers can expect rate increases over the next 10 years to upgrade, repair and maintain its 2,650 miles of pipe and aging infrastructure – some of which is more than 100 years old. The public agency is not funded by taxes, but instead is funded by water rates and new tap fees (also called system development charges).

“In the long-term, we are planning for customers to become more efficient and use less water in the future,” said Barry. “We live in a dry climate and are glad to see customers taking advantage of the rain and not watering. Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have seen this type of response in rainy weather. Conservation is critical to having a reliable water supply in the future.”

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918 as a nonpolitical municipal agency independent of city government, it is Colorado’s oldest and largest water utility.

More Denver Water coverage here.

CU installs dual-flushing toilets for water conservation

From the Boulder Daily Camera (Brittany Anas):

Partly because of the conservative flushing, CU’s Boulder campus has gone from using 412 million gallons a year to 290 million gallons a year since 2003, said Dave Newport, director of CU’s Environmental Center. During that same time, the school’s building space has grown 12 percent, he said.

More conservation coverage here.

Boulder: City Council lukewarm to water, sewer and stormwater rate increases

From the Boulder Daily Camera (Heath Urie):

At a study session Tuesday night, several council members indicated they wouldn’t support a proposal to increase the rates for water, wastewater and stormwater management beginning next year.

The Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board is recommending an increase of 3 percent on water bills, 2 percent for wastewater and 1 percent for stormwater. Together, the increases would mean most residential customers would pay $1.40 more a month — or about $17 more annually. Under the recommendations, water bills for businesses, such as restaurants, would increase about $162 a year, while heavy industrial uses would go up by $5,100.

While the City Council won’t make any formal decisions about the rates until September, Councilwoman Susan Osborne said she wouldn’t support increasing the rates this year because of the downtrodden state of the economy.

More Coyote Gulch infrastructure coverage here.

Boulder: Council to weigh increases for water, sewer and stormwater

From the Boulder Daily Camera (Heath Urie):

According to a memo being presented to the City Council during a Tuesday night study session, the Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board is recommending an increase in water, wastewater and stormwater rates. The proposal calls for an increase of 3 percent on water bills, 2 percent for wastewater and 1 percent for stormwater. Together, the increases would mean most residential customers would pay $1.40 more each month — or about $17 more annually. Water bills for businesses, such as restaurants, would increase about $162 per year, while heavy industrial uses would go up by $5,100.

More Coyote Gulch infrastructure coverage here.

New Erie pipeline construction catching blame for flooding in Boulder County

From the Boulder Daily Camera:

Last summer, as the snow began to melt and ditches began to flow with irrigation water, the people living along Valmont Road east of 75th Street noticed something strange. A large pool of standing water formed to the south of the road, where it stayed — an unwelcome mosquito breeding ground — until winter. At the same time, on the north side of the road, where groundwater had been plentiful, one neighbor’s well went dry and another’s pond evaporated, leaving a mess of dead fish. Now, Valmont’s “new swamp” has returned. Since no one can remember any of these things happening before, neighbors agree something has changed, and the obvious villain is the new Erie Pipeline, laid to the south of the road last spring…

Erie built the $15 million pipeline to bring a reliable supply of Colorado River water to town via the Boulder Reservoir, and town officials aren’t yet ready to take responsibility for the collage of groundwater problems on Valmont Road. Erie spokesman Fred Diehl said the town has met with Boulder County, which has jurisdiction over that area of Valmont Road, and both agree on four points: the water table in that area is quite high; the elevation is quite low; water comes to the surface when the nearby ditch begins to run in the spring; and the ditch is leaky. But as to whether the pipeline exasperated the already-high water table by creating an impermeable barrier — backing up the water on one side and drying out the soils on the other — Diehl would say only that “the town and our engineers are continuing to look into this matter.

Boulder County, while not actually saying Erie is at fault, points to a report on the standing water prepared by Centennial Engineering in Fort Collins, which concludes that “the installation of the water line altered the groundwater flow paths sufficiently that all the water leaking from Green Ditch could not pass the recently installed pipeline.”

Boulder ditch history

Many Colorado cities grew outward from the early irrigation ditch systems. Boulder is no different. Here’s a report from Mike Ellis writing for the Boulder Daily Camera. From the article:

True, ditches are like my grandfather’s shovel — the handle’s been replaced seven times and the blade four times — but they’re still 150 years old. The ditches may have been re-dug and repaired many times, but they are the same ditches. The first shovel was turned on the oldest, Smith-Goss ditch, in 1859, the same year the city of Boulder was founded. Today, Smith-Goss still runs through Naropa University and waters the fields at Boulder High…

Local government has generally agreed that irrigation ditches are an asset to the community. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, a joint agreement between the city and county of Boulder, calls for preserving historical ditches, protecting ditches from adjacent development, and supporting the neighborhood-building aspect of ditches…

“The Ditch Project – 150 Years of Ditches: Boulder’s Constructed Landscape” will be featured at the Boulder Public Library, the Dairy Center, and Central Park through July 8, with presentations, films, story telling, sculpture, tours, and more. The opening reception is May 15, and an all-day Ditch Symposium will be held May 16. All exhibits and events are free and open to the public. For information see ditchproject.org.

Boulder Creek: Restoration of fish habitat

From the Boulder Daily Camera:

The $234,000 restoration project is the result of three years of hard work by Boulder Flycasters, the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, to create a fish-friendly section of stream with stable banks, better recreational access and environmental education opportunities…

Over the decades, the area of Boulder Creek called Rogers Park has been damaged by a nearby sawmill, the construction of Colo. 119, flooding and pollution from the highway. And the dam four miles upstream, which creates Barker Reservoir, has altered the natural stream flow, leaving Rogers Park with wide banks, shallow waters and a relatively uniform stream bottom. In the winter, the stream froze nearly to the bottom, and during droughts the water slowed to a trickle — both scenarios eliminating places where trout can survive. By next week, the stream will have had a total makeover, with deep, calm pools pouring into sections of shallow ripples and quickly moving channels…

The Rogers Park project is funded by Boulder Flycasters, the Fishing is Fun Program, Colorado Trout Unlimited, the Colorado Watershed Restoration Program and Boulder County.