Letter to the Editor: NISP Ensures That Northern Colorado Will Have the Water to Meet Future Demands

By: Jim Borland, Chairman of the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District Board of Directors

The Northern Integrated Supply Project, NISP, is not just for the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, FCLWD, but Northern Colorado as a whole.

Water is a valuable commodity here in Colorado. The FCLWD Board of Directors advocates strongly for NISP as a key tool to supply water.

The purpose of NISP boils down to increasing our water supply without harming other users, such as agriculture, and greatly mitigating environmental impacts. NISP will deliver two new reservoirs providing the northern Front Range with 40,000 acre-feet of new, reliable water and 1,600 surface acres for recreation.

The need for more water is the direct result of growth along the northern Front Range. By 2032, just 12 years from today, FCLWD will need an additional 8,000 acre-feet of water to meet the needs of our growing service area. The new supply that NISP offers would meet that demand.

As important as conservation is, and FCLWD has a number of robust programs in place to reduce usage, the District still needs to add water resources to its portfolio. Our board has spent countless hours researching a number of conservation and supply options, and we believe this collaborative long-term regional water supply project is the best one to balance the interest of communities and homeowners.

Colorado is a great place to live, and more people will continue to move here to enjoy it. NISP ensures that we will have the water to meet those new demands. To learn more about NISP and get involved visit https://fclwd.com/water/nisp/.