Environmental group Save The Poudre has filed a lawsuit to try and stop the Northern Integrated Supply Project from going forward to construct two reservoirs and supply water to 15 communities.
The project is planned by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, but the lawsuit was filed against Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, in his role as chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which awarded a federal a permit to NISP in 2022 .
In the lawsuit, filed Thursday, Save The Poudre says the diversion of water from the Poudre River would cause severe damage to the river, including its aquatic life, the Poudre River Whitewater Park in Fort Collins and the riparian corridor.
“In some months and years, NISP would divert 65% of what water is left in the river, which is already heavily diverted by farms and cities,” a Save The Poudre news release announcing the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also alleges that in approving the permit, the Army Corps violated both the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act because it didn’t adequately consider alternatives and didn’t choose the least environmentally damaging alternative, respectively.