Northern Water Facilities: Latest Flood Information

9/18/2013

Sept. 18: Update on facilities, operations and efforts

Northern Water wants to update you on the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, our water-related operations and efforts within the water community that are moving forward in the wake of recent flooding.

From the initial flooding last week through today, Northern Water and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have been carefully monitoring weather forecasts and streamflows and making corresponding operational changes as necessary. Although it was not built for flood control, the C-BT Project provided the flexibility to move water in ways that reduced flows in some areas.



C-BT Project dams and infrastructure held up well during the flood, sustaining limited damage to some canal infrastructure. We are still assessing damages and foresee a couple of months of repair work ahead. Fortunately, the C-BT Project’s high-volume delivery season has ended, which will make it easier to access facilities and complete repairs.



We will be unable to make canal deliveries from Carter Lake for at least one month and possibly not until April 2014.



Northern Water is also communicating and cooperating with local, state, regional and federal agencies and – within our available resources – is assisting in efforts to address the needs of the region impacted by flooding.



Although Northern Water is focused on repairing facilities, we are doing this work knowing that many families and water users have been affected by this disaster. Our thoughts go out to our neighbors and friends throughout Colorado who have been impacted.

If you have questions about deliveries out of Carter Lake, Horsetooth or Boulder reservoirs, please contact Dennis Miller in our dispatch center at 1-800-369-7246 ext. 2500. We will also be updating our website, www.northernwater.org, as new flood-related information becomes available.



For information about C-BT Project features, including Lake Estes, Olympus Dam and the hydropower facilities located between the West Portal of the Adams Tunnel and Flatiron Reservoir, please contact Kara Lamb, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Public Information Officer, at 970-962-4326 or klamb@usbr.gov.



For ditch and reservoir company officials – A message from DARCA

Northern Water would like to pass on a message that was sent out by DARCA. We urge you to respond to the request put out in the message. Dick Wolfe, State Engineer, has a meeting later this week with FEMA, NRCS, CWCB and others to discuss funding for repairs and replacement to water delivery facilities that have been damaged by the flood. He has asked Division Engineer Dave Nettles to provide him with a list of structures that need repair or replacement. You are asked to send emails to Dave at David.Nettles@state.co.us to provide details on which structures have sustained damage and need to be repaired or replaced.