Public Meetings Scheduled in Next Steps Towards Glade Reservoir 

Annie Lindgren

North Forty News

Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at 6:00 pm, the Larimer County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing with CDOT for select property owners impacted by the U.S. Highway 287 realignment.

The meeting will discuss the location and extent review for CDOT to realign a portion of U.S. Highway 287 from its existing location, beginning at the intersection of State Hwy 14 and US HWY 287, continuing north approximately 6 miles, and locating it about 1.5 miles to the east. The realignment is in response to the future construction of Glade Reservoir associated with the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). 

The public is invited to attend, and the meeting is both in person at Hearing Room, 1st Floor, 200 West Oak Street, or via zoom. The link to event details is https://www.larimer.org/boards/planning-commission. 

The project referred to as The Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), initially began around 2004 and is dated to end in 2027 — 2028, making it a 24-year project. It plans to provide 15 northern front-range water providers, including Windsor, Eaton, and Firestone, with 40,000 acres of new, reliable water supplies and ultimately supply water to half a million Northern Colorado residents by the year 2050.

The project includes building two new reservoirs. Glade Reservoir, just north of Ted’s Place on U.S. Highway 287, will store water diverted from the Cache la Poudre River. Galeton Reservoir, northeast of Greeley, will provide storage for water collected from the South Platte River. Five pump plants and multiple pipelines to deliver water to project participants and water exchanges with two local irrigation companies are included in the project.

Glade Reservoir will be a site for water recreation, fishing, hiking, and more. The participants of NISP have agreed to spend more than $16 million to develop the recreation site. Aside from much-needed water storage, NISP will incorporate an array of environmental and wildlife mitigation and enhancement measures and bring additional recreational opportunities to the region. 

Because the Reservoir will fill the valley 287 currently travels through, there is a need to find a new route for 287. The plan is to go up the other side of the Hodge back Ridge, to the east, closer to Wellington. This will require land acquisition and easements as there are many properties along the new route. 

For more information on this project and the realignment of 287, visit https://www.northernwater.org/NISP/about/US-highway-287-realignment