Northern Water

Northern Water
Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Northern Water
Type	Special district
Established	1937
Headquarters	Berthoud, Colorado
Area served	Northern Colorado

Northern Water Northern Water is a Colorado water conservancy district serving northern Colorado municipalities, agriculture, and industry. It develops and manages water storage, delivery, and conservation projects across the South Platte River basin while interacting with federal agencies, state agencies, and local governments. The district administers large-scale infrastructure, operates reservoirs and canals, and engages in environmental programs with partners spanning the Colorado River Basin, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

History

Northern Water traces roots to early 20th-century irrigation movements and reclamation projects associated with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, and regional irrigation districts such as the Weld County Canal Company. The agency evolved alongside New Deal-era initiatives like the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program and post-World War II development that shaped the South Platte River water system. Landmark interactions with entities including the United States Congress, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board guided construction of major projects and participation in interstate compacts such as the Republican River Compact and the Colorado River Compact. Over decades Northern Water coordinated with municipalities like Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Longmont, and Boulder on water rights transfers, storage expansions, and drought response plans influenced by litigation involving parties such as the Environmental Protection Agency and regional water districts.

Organization and Governance

Northern Water is governed by a board of directors elected from divisions that correspond to counties and water districts across northern Colorado, working with member entities including the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District constituents and special districts like the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District. Executive leadership interacts with federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers on project approvals and operations. The board’s policymaking intersects with statutes and institutions like the Colorado Revised Statutes, the Colorado Attorney General, and county governments in Larimer County, Weld County, and Boulder County. Financial oversight involves collaborations with the United States Department of the Interior, municipal bond markets handled by underwriters, and local utilities including Greeley Water and Sewer and regional planning commissions such as the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Water Supply and Infrastructure

Northern Water plans, constructs, and maintains major infrastructure including reservoirs, tunnels, pumping plants, and canals integral to projects like the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. Key facilities connect to bodies such as Lake Granby, Horsetooth Reservoir, Carter Lake, and the Boyd Lake State Park system, while conveyance structures traverse federal lands managed by the United States Forest Service and state lands regulated by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Infrastructure development often requires coordination with the National Park Service when projects affect recreational resources, and with stakeholders including the Northern Integrated Supply Project proponents, agricultural producers represented by the Colorado Farm Bureau, and energy companies operating in the Wattenberg Gas Field.

Operations and Services

Northern Water operates water delivery systems serving municipalities like Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Longmont, and Boulder County utilities, and provides services to irrigation districts such as the Highline Canal Company and the Little Thompson Water District. Day-to-day operations require cooperation with the Colorado Division of Water Resources, the United States Geological Survey for streamflow data, and emergency management agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency for flood response. Service programs include water conservation outreach with partners like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on comparative research, drought contingency planning aligned with the Colorado Water Plan, and customer relations with wholesale purchasers such as the City of Thornton and the Broomfield Utility Department.

Environmental and Conservation Programs

Northern Water engages in habitat restoration and streamflow enhancement initiatives connected to the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, the Endangered Species Act processes administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and cooperative agreements with conservation NGOs like The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society. Programs aim to support species protected under federal law such as the whooping crane recovery efforts, and state-listed species overseen by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Collaborations include partnerships with academic institutions like Colorado State University on ecological monitoring, with federal research via the United States Geological Survey for water quality studies, and with non-profits such as the Sierra Club on watershed stewardship and public education.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Northern Water operates within a complex legal framework involving the Colorado River Compact, the Platte River Cooperative Agreement, state water law under the Colorado Doctrine, and federal statutes including the Clean Water Act. The district routinely engages in adjudication and negotiations before the Water Court system in Colorado and intergovernmental dispute resolution involving parties such as the State of Nebraska under interstate compacts. Regulatory compliance requires coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and federal permitting through the United States Army Corps of Engineers for wetland impacts.

Controversies and Public Issues

Northern Water has been central to debates over water development projects such as the Northern Integrated Supply Project, attracting litigation and public comment involving municipalities like Fort Collins and environmental groups including Save the Poudre and the Sierra Club. Controversies often focus on water rights transfers affecting irrigators represented by the Colorado Farm Bureau, impacts on riparian corridors adjacent to Cache la Poudre River, and compliance disputes brought before the Colorado Supreme Court and federal courts. Public issues also encompass reservoir expansion controversies involving stakeholders such as state legislators, county commissioners, the Colorado Attorney General, and federal agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation.

Category:Water management in Colorado