Oct. 24, 2013

NISP Survey Indicates Continued Strong Support for Project

A majority of Northern Colorado voters continue to support the Northern Integrated Supply Project, or NISP. According to a recent poll conducted by Ciruli Associates, support for NISP is very strong at 72 percent. This recent poll of voters within Larimer, Weld and Morgan counties was a follow up to a poll conducted in 2008 where the overall support was 70 percent.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lead federal agency conducting the environmental review of NISP, has indicated the supplemental draft environmental impact statement for the project will be completed by mid-2014. Throughout the decade-long review process the public has remained steadfast in support. In 2013, 73 percent of those polled feel that 10 years is sufficient time for study, while 84 percent believe the State of Colorado was correct when it wrote the Army Corps requesting that the study of NISP be finished as soon as possible.

Christopher Smith, Chairman of the NISP Participants Committee and General Manager of the Left Hand Water District is pleased with the results. “This poll shows the continued and overwhelming support from the general public for NISP. This project is collaborative, it’s innovative, it’s efficient and it needs to be built.”

NISP logo

The 2013 survey’s findings include:

  • 72 percent of Larimer County, 79 percent of Weld County and 60 percent of Morgan County residents support the project.
  • By more than a three-to-one margin Fort Collins residents support NISP (60 percent vs. 19 percent).
  • 74 percent of Greeley residents support NISP, only 8 percent oppose.
  • Fort Morgan residents support NISP by a six-to-one margin (66 percent vs. 11 percent).
  • 81 percent believe the parties involved in NISP should negotiate potential mitigation strategies with the cities and towns along the Poudre River.
  • 92 percent of those polled believe strategies and projects must be developed to avoid the loss of irrigated agriculture in the state.
  • Nearly 9 out of 10 agree that developing a state water plan is a good idea (88 percent).
  • 86 percent believe Colorado should take steps to store water that is legally available to it before it flows out of state.