Federal water engineers today will release their plan to nearly double the amount of water stored in Chatfield Reservoir, which would inundate 10 percent of Colorado’s premier state park but ensure steadier flows in the South Platte River.
A massive draft environmental impact statement sets out the engineers’ proposals for mitigating impact and opens a public comment period.
The proposed mitigation is designed to compensate for the loss of a cottonwood-studded shoreline and stretches of free-flowing river within Chatfield State Park. Other work would offset lost habitat for the , a federally-protected endangered species, and replace park facilities, including a boating marina.
The , with water levels rising by up to 12 feet. More than 1.6 million people visit the park each year, spending about $9.5 million.
Metro Denver communities dependent on water from underground aquifers and agricultural producers favor the re-allocation of the reservoir storage – a way to meet growing demands for water while using existing federal infrastructure.
Gov. John Hickenlooper and state water-supply planners have supported this $100 million Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project. Some conservationists are also supportive because it may be less harmful than other possible water supply projects.
Colorado’s low mountain snow pack this year has created an especially difficult situation along the South Platte River.
“At this point, you can walk across the river and not get your knees wet. If the river gets any lower, the river will be out of water. Our ditch will cease to run. We will be out of water – at the mercy of Nature for rainfall,” said Randy Knutson, a Weld County produce farmer who traveled to Washington D.C. and participated in stakeholder negotiations for the project.
Boosting the amount of water stored in the reservoir along the South Platte southwest of Denver “is not going to save us this year,” Knutson said. “But for the long-range it is additional insurance, additional water supply that we can use and count on. Consistency is what we are looking for.”
The federal engineers’ tentatively recommended plan would provide an average annual yield of 8,539 acre-feet of water at less cost than other alternatives for water supply. It reflects efforts to balance environmental and recreational needs – by modifying park facilities including the boating marina. The shift from flood-control storage to water-supply storage at Chatfield is expected to result in greater and more frequent flucuations in water levels.
Audubon Society has opposed the project, saying significant bird habitat will be lost, hurting migratory species.
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 twitter.com/finleybruce or bfinley@denverpost.com
