NISP Participants

The 15 NISP participants include 11 fast-growing cities and towns and four water districts within the expanding Northern Front Range.

Central Weld County Water District
Dacono
Eaton
Erie
Evans
Firestone
Fort Collins - Loveland Water District
Fort Lupton
Fort Morgan
Frederick
Lafayette
Left Hand Water District
Morgan County Quality Water District
Windsor
Severance

NISP Participants' Map
Map shows the 15 Northern Colorado NISP participants and their NISP allotments.
Click map to view it.

The NISP Partners Glade Reservoir is truly regional in scope, offering benefits to the residents of Larimer, Weld, Boulder and Morgan counties. With that in mind, the 15 communities and water districts are partnering with Northern Water to build the project. The water providers in NISP are communities that are experiencing rapid growth. (See Figure 1 below.)

NISP Participant Letters of Support

In addition, nearly 30 cities and towns will receive water through NISP:

Larimer County	Weld County	Morgan County	Boulder County
Loveland	Erie	Wiggins	Lafayette
Fort Collins	Fort Lupton	Weldona	Erie
Windsor	Windsor	Orchard	Niwot
Timnath	Frederick	Goodrich
	Firestone	Fort Morgan
	Eaton	Brush
	Severance	Hillrose
	Kersey	Snyder
	Evans	Log Lane Village
	Gilcrest
	Platteville
	Milliken
	Dacono

Partners to Pay NISP Costs The partners are responsible for all costs to permit, design, construct and maintain NISP. A mixture of cash, bonds and low-interest loans will most likely finance the project, which is estimated at $500 million, or about $12,500 per acre foot of water.

It is an affordable option to meet future needs: an equivalent amount of Colorado-Big Thompson water is approximately $10,000 to $11,000 per acre foot, and many communities in the Front Range are paying much more for new water supplies. In addition, project construction would be phased, allowing the NISP partners to pay for the project on an as-needed basis.
Community Partners As the goals of the project continue to evolve, Northern Water is committed to building new partnerships and enhancing existing ones. For example, the draft environmental impact statement references talks Northern Water is having with ditch companies that will enable better management of Poudre River flows and provide water at times that it historically hasn't been there.

NISP Participants Cut Water Consumption by 30 percent
Sometimes saving just isn't enough. Reducing our need for water is good. Preparing for our future, though, is the right thing to do. According to the draft environmental impact statement, the 15 NISP participants are already taking their own lead in water conservation – collectively reducing their water consumption by more than 30 percent in the past 20 years.

NISP Communities’ Water Conservation Efforts Brochure

In addition, collectively the NISP participants are below the major water usage boundaries. At 177 gallons per capita daily (GPCD), they are below the Colorado statewide average of between 206 and 332 GPCD, according to the recently completed Statewide Water Supply Investigation. NISP participants also compare favorably with other Western U.S. cities. (See Figure 2 in the right column.)

Water Needs Will Nearly Triple Yet, the NISP participants' water needs will nearly triple by 2030, meaning that even with their strong conservation efforts, they will need additional supplies.

Many of the participants already face water shortages during dry years and all will face shortages by 2025. Figure 3 (below) illustrates the cumulative water deficits to 2050.

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Learn From Region's Leaders in Conservation
Conservation will play an increasingly important role in Colorado's future, and all the NISP participants have water conservation programs already in place. Coupling progressive water conservation measures with storage represents the 21st century solution to meeting the region's water demands. Northern Water currently has an extensive conservation program. Check out these other web sites that offer beneficial information about conserving water:

Colorado WaterWise Council
Northern Water is a member of this group that promotes the efficient use of Colorado water.

Northern Colorado Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Water Conservation Workgroup
Northern Water belongs to this team that is examining methods to improve water conservation in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense Program
Northern Water is a promotional partner with the EPA for its WaterSense Program, which promotes and enhances the market for water-efficient products and services.

Irrigation Association
Northern Water participates in various IA activities, and Northern Water staff members teach IA courses for landscapers and others.

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