State Agencies Approve Key Plan for Halligan Water Supply Project

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission and the Colorado Water Conservation Board recently approved the Halligan Water Supply Project’s Fish and Wildlife Mitigation and Enhancement Plan. The approval marks a significant milestone for the City of Fort Collins’ Halligan Project.

Under Colorado law, water development project impacts on fish and wildlife must be mitigated. The Fish and Wildlife Mitigation and Enhancement Plan presents the actions that Fort Collins will take to address the project’s potential impacts on fish and wildlife, and how it will enhance existing conditions in the Halligan Project area. The plan’s purpose is to outline mitigation efforts that are ecologically reasonable and maintain a balance between the development of our precious water resources and the protection of vital fish and wildlife and their habitats.

The plan outlines a variety of project aspects, including:

• Current and post-construction fish and wildlife conditions
• Minimization of project influence on fish and wildlife whenever possible
• Mitigation measures for unavoidable project activities, including compensatory obligations
• Enhancement measures that Fort Collins proposes to incorporate into the project are not required to meet regulatory needs but would be implemented to improve existing conditions for fish and wildlife

The City of Fort Collins posted the draft plan on its website in April. In May, the City held a virtual open house to allow the public to learn more and give feedback. In May and June, the City sought plan approval from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, and in July, it sought approval from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The Fish and Wildlife, Mitigation and Enhancement Plan, is the state’s official position on fish and wildlife resource mitigation for the Halligan Project. The approved plan is posted on the City’s website at fcgov.com/Halligan.

For more information, visit fcgov.com/Halligan, email [email protected], or V/TDD 711.