Loveland's Raw Water Supply and the Expansion of Green Ridge Glade Reservoir

Beginning in 1887, the City of Loveland diverted all of its municipal water supply directly from the Big Thompson River. The City built a pipeline into the water treatment plant at Chasteen's Grove that provided high quality water for many decades. Following the 1976 flood in the Big Thompson Canyon, when Loveland's population was about 25,000, citizens supported additional protection for the City's water supply. From this concern, Green Ridge Glade Reservoir was built in the valley above the water treatment plant. Since completion, the reservoir has provided about 600 acre-feet of stored water to use in emergency situations. With the current population of over 50,000 people, the reservoir will provide water for about six days during the hottest part of the summer, if water use is not curtailed.

The City Council established the water board on December 16, 1980, to help guide the council in decisions concerning the supply of raw water. The water board recommended a study of the raw water supply and a determination of the reliability of the water supply during a drought. The Drought Study was completed in 1988. Based on the study results and the recommendations of the water board, the City Council authorized purchasing additional water supplies and expanding Green Ridge Glade Reservoir. The additional water was purchased in 1990. In 1989, the council approved eight annual water rate increases starting in 1990. The funds from the rate increases were allocated to expanding the reservoir, expanding the City's raw water supplies, and paying for departmental operations and maintenance. The last water rate increase was in 1997.

Planning Begins

In 1997, City Council directed staff to proceed with formal planning for the reservoir expansion. Studies completed the following year revealed that the existing reservoir could be expanded to approximately 6,000 acre-feet. The expansion would provide enough emergency water to last about 60 days without implementing water use restrictions. In addition, the expanded reservoir would allow the City to store water from shares of water it owns in several irrigation companies, which makes the water available all year instead of only during the normal growing season.

Environmental Assessment

An Environmental Assessment (EA) was performed for the Project by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). Reclamation served as the lead federal agency for the project, as required under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act. On June 9, 2000, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued by Reclamation. This means that the environmental commitments and mitigation to be implemented by the City as outlined in the FONSI and in the EA will minimize the environmental affects of the project to the point that Reclamation believes there will be no significant impact on the human environment at the reservoir site or downstream.

Other Required Actions

Location and Extent Review. Larimer County required that a Location and Extent Review be conducted for the expansion project. In October 1999, the Larimer County Planning Commission approved the review. On January 10, 2000, the Larimer County Commissioners directed that the portion of County Road 29 that will be inundated by the reservoir be relocated on the east side of the expanded reservoir. See diagram for details.

404 Permit. To build the expansion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) required a 404 Permit. The permit was required because about 0.8 acres of wetlands along the inlet to the existing reservoir and at the downstream toe of the existing dam will be covered with water or soil by the expansion project. On June 12, 2000, The Corps issued Department of the Army Permit NO. 200080078 for the Green Ridge Glade Reservoir Expansion Project. This will allow the construction process on the expansion to proceed once the final design is complete.

Basis of Negotiation. The City applied to Reclamation to begin negotiations for a long-term contract with Reclamation and  the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to carry the City's native water through the federal facilities. The local office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation prepared the Basis of Negotiation (BON) document that initiated the negotiation process. The BON was submitted in the spring of 2000 to the Solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior who ruled in July 2000 that Interior did not have the authority to negotiate such a contract under existing laws.

After the Solicitor's ruling, the City of Loveland Water and Power Department had two choices. The first choice was to seek a basis for a long-term contract through specific legislation for the expansion of Green Ridge Glade Reservoir. The second choice was to include building a pump station to transfer water to the reservoir.

On July 21, 2000, Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado introduced legislation (S.B. 2906) that would provide the requisite authority for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to enter into a long-term contract with Loveland to transfer the water to the reservoir. Subsequently, Representative Schaffer introduced the legislation (H.B. 4991) in the House of Representatives.

The Senate and House of Representatives attached the Allard amendment to the VA/HUD Appropriations bill that was passed on October 19, 2000. the measure was sent to the President. President Clinton signed the bill on October 27, 2000.

Now, the City of Loveland Water and  Power Department can initiate the necessary Basis of Negotiation process with Reclamation to negotiate a long-term contract with the City of Loveland for transporting water from the Big Thompson River through the Hansen Feeder Canal, owned by Reclamation, to the expanded reservoir.

It is expected that the contract to transport the native waters will be negotiated and completed in early 2001. It is very likely that the contract will be in place before the construction begins.

Engineering, Design and Construction

All of the regulatory steps have been completed except for the Basis of Negotiation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Final engineering and design work are beginning, and are expected to take about 18 months to complete. Following completion of the design work, the City will select a contractor, negotiate a contract with the contractor, and prepare to proceed with construction on the site. If all current estimates hold, construction could begin in 2002, with the expansion expected to be completed in late 2003.

The expanded reservoir can be filled at completion with Colorado-Big Thompson or Windy Gap Project waters with no additional legal or administrative changes.

Completion of the expansion of Green Ridge Glade Reservoir, at an estimated cost of $20 million, will give Loveland's citizens an adequate emergency supply of water. In addition, the expanded reservoir will improve opportunities to efficiently manage the City's raw water supplies.

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