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Home My WebLink About08/07/2025 - Water Commission - AGENDA - Work SessionWATER COMMISSION WORK SESSION August 7, 2025 08/07/2025 Agenda fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/water Page 1 of 2 Online via Microsoft Teams and in person at Utilities Service Center, 700 Wood St., Poudre Conference Room Microsoft Teams – See Link Below 1. CALL TO ORDER a. 5:30 p.m. 2. AGENDA REVIEW 3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (3 minutes per individual) 4. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion Items i. Halligan Water Supply Project Overview and Status (20-minute presentation, 30-minute discussion) Darren Parkin, Program Manager Halligan Water Supply Project, Fort Collins Utilities _____________________________________________________________________ You may join via Microsoft Teams Need help? Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 225 710 197 000 Passcode: L27tV3cd _____________________________________________________________________ Online Public Participation: The meeting will be available to join beginning at 5:00 p.m., August 7, 2025. Participants should try to sign in prior to the 5:30 p.m. meeting start time, if possible. For public comments, the Chair will ask participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. Staff will moderate the online Teams session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Water Commission. To participate: • Use a laptop, computer, or internet-enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). • You need to have access to the internet. • Keep yourself on muted status. Masks Strongly Recommended in Indoor Public Spaces While there are currently no public health orders in place, Larimer County Public Health officials strongly recommend that well-fitting, high-quality masks are worn in crowded indoor spaces. For more information, please visit fcgov.com/covid WATER COMMISSION WORK SESSION August 7, 2025 08/07/2025 Agenda fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/water Page 2 of 2 The Halligan Water Supply Project will provide approximately 8,200 acre- feet of additional water storage for Fort Collins Utilities by building a new dam and enlarging the existing Halligan Reservoir. This will provide additional water to current and future Utilities customers while increasing the reliability and resiliency of our water supply by providing the needed storage to capture water rights we already own. Information: fcgov.com/halligan/ and fcgov.com/utilities/ 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS (Commissioners and staff) 6. ADJOURNMENT a. 7:30 p.m. Headline Copy Goes Here Halligan Program Manager Darren Parkin Project Overview and Status Aug. 7, 2025 Headline Copy Goes HereHalligan Water Supply Project Purpose Why? •Provide water to current and future customers. •Increase reliability and resiliency of our water supply, especially in times of prolonged drought and climate change uncertainties. •Gain storage to capture the water rights we own. What? •Enlarge existing reservoir by building a replacement dam. •Stored water would serve Utilities’ service area’s residents and businesses. Headline Copy Goes HereFort Collins Utilities’ Water System Overview Michigan Ditch Cache la Poudre River Joe Wright Reservoir Halligan Reservoir Colorado-Big Thompson Project via Horsetooth Reservoir Intake Headline Copy Goes Here Utilities Water Service Area Fort Collins Area Water Districts Map Headline Copy Goes Here 5 Halligan Reservoir Enlargement 253 to 391 surface acres Headline Copy Goes Here Water Supply Planning Criteria Planning Demand Level 150 gallons per capita per day Drought Criterion 1-in-50-year drought Storage Reserve Factor 20% of annual demands Water Supply and Demand Management Policy Headline Copy Goes HereExisting Versus New Existing dam •78’ high, 350’ length, 8-foot crest width •Two 34” outlet pipes •12,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) spillway capacity •Cyclopean masonry and slip form concrete New dam •144.5’ high, 1,000’ length, 26 -foot crest width •One 42” outlet and one 24” outlet •104,000 CFS spillway capacity •Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) construction •Water surface elevation only increases by 26 feet Headline Copy Goes HereCurrent Total Cost Estimate: $308 Million Headline Copy Goes HereProject Impacts •Water quality •401 certification •Seasonal inundation of ¾-mile stream channel •Wetlands •Inundation and creation of wetlands •Special status species •Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse, Big Horn Sheep •Temporary construction activities Headline Copy Goes HereOverall Project Benefits Meets Fort Collins Utilities’ future water demands. Most cost-effective option to meet needs. Year-round flows on the North Fork leading to aquatic habitat improvements. Replaces an aging dam. Gravity-fed and environmentally responsible. Uses existing reservoir instead of building a new one. Headline Copy Goes HereEnvironmental Benefits Zero-Flow River Conditions Proposed River Conditions (5 CFS) •Several measures will be included in the project to avoid, minimize, and improve impacts on stream functions •These provide flow-related benefits to about 22 miles of the North Fork of the Poudre River •Attempt to protect releases using the Protected Mitigation Releases statute Headline Copy Goes Here Slight decrease in flows during spring runoff. Slight decrease in flows during spring runoff. Most months, operations would increase flows. Current winter dry-up Current late summer dry -up Headline Copy Goes Here401 Water Quality Certification - Public Comment •June 2025 – City of Fort Collins submitted a 401 Water Quality Certification application to the Colorado Water Quality Control Division. •Prior to submission, the Halligan Project spent several years monitoring and documenting water quality in Halligan Reservoir and the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River. •Project operations, combined with mitigation and enhancement commitments are expected to provide additional net benefits improving pre -project baseline conditions on the North Fork. •To review the application, visit cdphe.colorado.gov/wq - hwsp-401. Public comment is open for 30 days beginning Aug. 1, 2025. Headline Copy Goes Here Federal Permitting Process Began 2006 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Released 2019 EIS Public Comment Period 2019-2020 Fish and Wildlife Mitigation and Enhancement Plan Approval 2023 Final EIS Released 2023 Larimer County 1041 Permit Approval 2025 60% Design Draft 2025 401 Water Quality Certification Application 2025 Record of Decision (Federal Permitting Complete) 2026 Final Design 2027 Construction Commencement 2026-2027 Operational 2029-2030 Project Timeline Headline Copy Goes HereWork Remaining in 2025 Planning •Master schedule •Budget and funding •Construction delivery model •North Poudre Irrigation Company Operational Agreements •Access easements Permitting and Supplemental Activities •401 Water Quality Certification •Cultural resources and Tribal consultation •Stream and wetland credits Design •60% design •CSU Hydraulics Lab •Operations •Access roads •Micro-hydropower design •Test quarry Headline Copy Goes HereRendering of New Dam 16 Headline Copy Goes Here Questions? fcgov.com/Halligan Headline Copy Goes HereHalligan Project Big Picture •Existing dam built in 1909 by North Poudre Irrigation Company •Federal permitting process started in 2006 •Project will expand the existing 6,400 acre-feet reservoir by ~8,200 acre-feet •14,600 acre-feet total capacity •New dam construction to start as early as 2026 •The project is currently the most cost-effective option to meet Utilities' water storage and supply needs Headline Copy Goes HereStorage Available to Area Providers With Halligan