City Council Study Session Summary 2008 04 22

Home Browse Search

City Council Study Session Summary April 22, 2008 Page 2 of 5 Director Phare introduced NCWCD representatives Eric Wilkinson, General Manager who has worked 20 years with NCWCD; Jill Boyd, Public Relations; and Jeff Drager, Project Manager for the Windy Gap Project. Ms. Boyd gave a PowerPoint presentation that included a brief review of the history of NCWCD, which was formed in 1937 and is primarily funded by a 1 mil ad valorem tax on all properties within its boundaries. The NCWCD is headquartered in Berthoud and its boundaries include eight counties, Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld, with an overall population of 770,000 people. Originally the primary purpose was to build and maintain the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) Project, but the scope has expanded to water conservation, water quality, Windy Gap Project and other proposed projects. Part of the presentation had information about the C-BT Project to include its history, the West Slope Collection System and the East Slope Distribution System. It also included charts on C-BT ownership trends and historical quota levels as well as the Southern Water Supply Project. Jeff Drager, Windy Gap Project Manager, continued the PowerPoint presentation which included a brief history of the Windy Gap Project. Mr. Drager stated that it became evident that there was a need for Windy Gap Firming to provide water during the dry years, provide space for diversions when Lake Granby is full or spilling and to satisfy a portion of future M&I demands in Northern Colorado. He listed the 14 participants, one of which is Louisville, and their storage requests. The presentation included a chart showing participant demand vs. supply. Mr. Drager said that for the firming project a 900 acre surface area was needed with a storage capacity of 90,000 acre feet. Mr. Drager said that land owned by HP was purchased which is adjacent to Carter Lake. The new reservoir will be called Chimney Hollow with surrounding land purchased by Larimer County for Open Space proposes. The timeline for the project is draft EIS - May/June of 2008, which is currently happening; public hearings - July of 2008; final EIS - end of 2008; design of facilities - 2009 to 2010; construction - 2011 to 2014. The estimated cost of the project is currently $270 million with Louisville's cost estimated at $8.1 million with 20% due at the design phase and 80% due at construction. Mr. Drager also explained that NCWCD is concurrently doing another project called "The NISP Proposal". Mr. Drager explained that the NISP is not a part of the Windy Gap Project although the two are often confused. Mayor Sisk asked General Manager Eric Wilkinson how NCWCD was funded. Mr. Wilkinson said that 50% comes from the 1 mil tax, 25% from service bill backs, 22% from assessments and C-BT unit fees and the remainder from interest on investments. Councilor Muckle asked if NCWCD gave tours of the system. Mr. Wilkinson said that they give two tours annually, two on the east slope and 2 on the west slope. He indicated that the tours last an entire day with lunch being provided. Ms.