South Boulder Creek caught in water battle
By RMI Staff 
| August 10, 2009 | 10:00 AM
South Boulder Creek, which is fed by water from the Gross Reservoir and sometimes dries up in the winter, has found friends in some cities and environmentalists who want to keep the water flowing. But where will the extra water come from and who will pay for it? From the Boulder Daily Camera:
Gross Reservoir is filled largely with water that was pulled from the Fraser River — a tributary to the Colorado — and then pumped through Moffat Tunnel to quench Denver’s thirst. As the city has grown, so has its demand for water, and now Denver has asked for permission to nearly triple the size of Gross Reservoir, pumping even more water from the Fraser.
Trout Unlimited opposes the expansion, arguing that the project would further drain the already over-taxed Colorado River. But if the project goes through — and most people expect it will — Trout Unlimited wants to see some victory for the fish.
Both Boulder and Lafayette have also joined with Trout Unlimited in the negotiations over the expansion, asking Denver Water to add another 5,000 acre-feet to the planned 72,000-acre-foot expansion of Gross Reservoir. The idea would be to release the extra water into South Boulder Creek in the winter, ensuring that the stream never dries up.
Read the full story here.
boulder, colorado river, environment, gross reservoir, south boulder creek, water
