Gross Reservoir Expansion Project
Environmental Review Process
As a federally permitted project, the purpose, need and environmental impacts of the project have been vetted through almost a decade of research. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the Final Environmental Impact Statement in 2014 that details project mitigation measures and addresses public comment received after publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Like many water supply projects, there are a number of permits at the federal, state and local level that are needed before construction can begin:
401 Certification
- Also a component of the Clean Water Act of 1972, 401 Certification is a process handled at the state level. In the case of the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is responsible for evaluating the impacts of and ensuring water quality associated with this project.
- Secured: June 2016
Record of Decision and 404 Permit
- A major responsibility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is administering the permitting program under Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, also known as the Clean Water Act. Permit review and authorization is a thoughtful and lengthy process that encourages avoidance of impacts, followed by minimizing impacts and, finally, requiring mitigation for unavoidable impacts to the aquatic environment.
- 404 Permit
- Secured: July 2017
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Hydropower License Amendment
- The Gross Reservoir Dam includes a 7.6 mW hydropower unit, which is licensed for operation by FERC. Under the Federal Power Act, FERC has exclusive authority to license non-federal hydropower projects. The amendment of license process requires that FERC address both the economics and engineering issues and the potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of project development and operation.
- Denver Water expects to receive the License Amendment by the end of 2019.
Latest News / Blog
Denver Water makes way for toads
TAP - Dec. 2, 2019 - "Denver Water, as part of an expansive environmental agreement with the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, recently completed its first “toad tunnel” under Vasquez Creek Road just outside Winter Park." Read the full story here.
After decades of negotiations, restoration efforts on Colorado’s heavily diverted Fraser River are showing signs of success
The Colorado Sun - Nov. 13 - "Both Denver Water and Northern Water state that their new diversion projects are aimed to help meet increasing water demands along the Front Range and to buffer customers from future water-supply variability due to climate change." Read...
Remodeling and restoring rivers — for trout and those who hook them
TAP - October 31, 2019 - "Williams Fork is one of the real jewels of our state wildlife areas, and the project has effectively addressed some habitat shortcomings that we had observed over the past decade,” said Jon Ewert, Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologist...
Indoor ‘waterfall’ puts water to the test at CSU
TAP - October 2, 2019 - “It’s a fun job and also extremely important to the communities where these structures are built,” said Chris Thornton, director of the Colorado State University Hydraulics Laboratory. “Our job is to provide designers with information to make...