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U.S.
Senator Ken Salazar
Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees
2300 15th
Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO
80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
20510
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$67M in Federal
Water Projects in Colorado Announced by Sen. Salazar
WASHINGTON, D.C. – $67 million
in federal water funds may soon be flowing into Colorado as part of
the Energy and Water Appropriations conference report expected to be
approved by Congress and signed by the President in the near future.
United States Senator Ken Salazar successfully fought for over $67 million
in federal funds for 17 projects under the Energy and Water Appropriations
bill conference report.
“In the West, and especially
in Colorado, water is central to our way of life. These federal funds
will ensure that Coloradans are able to maintain, preserve and enjoy
their water resources to the best of our abilities,” said Senator Salazar.
Overall, Senator Salazar
was able to include over $58 million in funding for Western Slope water
projects, over $2.6 million for projects in the Arkansas River Valley
and over $4 million for projects in the Denver metro area. These projects
include:
- $56M for the Animas-La
Plata Project to fund continued construction activities on the Durango
pumping plant and the dam located in Ridges Basin, the lynchpin of
the 1988 Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement. This is $4 million
more than the request submitted by President Bush earlier this year;
- $125K for study of the
Fountain Creek Watershed in El Paso County;
- $2.6M for the John Martin
Reservoir for routing operations and maintenance of this 2.6-miles-long
concrete and earthfill structure in Bent County that controls flood
waters from an 18,130 square mile drainage area;
- $4M for Chatfield Lake
and Cherry Creek Lake for continued renovation and construction work;
- $1.5M for Trinidad Lake
for continued renovation and construction work; and
- $400K for Tamarisk eradication
by the across the state of Colorado at a variety of identified locations
including the Colorado River, Arkansas River, and the Dolores River.
A complete list of the projected
funded at the specific request of Senator Salazar is included below:
REQUESTOR
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FUNDING
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COUNTY |
John Martin Reservoir
Operation and Maintenance
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$ 2,633,000
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Bent |
City of Boulder-- Goose
Creek
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$ 200,000
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Boulder |
Boulder County-- Lower
Boulder Creek
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$ 240,000
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Boulder |
North Fork River Improvement
Assoc.-- North Fork Gunnison River Restoration
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$ 476,000
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Delta |
Colorado Water Conservation
Board-- Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and Bear Creek Reservoirs
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$ 135,000
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Denver |
Colorado Water Conservation
Board-- Chatfield Downstream, South Platte River
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$ 139,000
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Denver |
Chatfield Reservoir
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$ 1,710,000
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Denver |
Cherry Creek Reservoir
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$ 2,346,000
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Denver |
Regis University--
science building upgrade
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$ 800,000
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Denver |
City of Colorado Springs--
Fountain Creek Watershed Study
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$ 125,000
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El Paso |
Colorado Springs-Powers
Boulevard (Hwy 24), Colorado Springs
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$ 34,000
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El Paso |
Glenwood Springs--
27th St. Bridge, Glenwood Springs
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$ 30,000
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Garfield |
City of Ft. Collins--
Kingfisher Point
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$ 191,000
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Larimer |
Trinidad Lake
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$ 1,519,000
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Las Animas |
Animas La Plata Project
-- Tribes and Water Districts
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$ 56,000,000
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Mancos Water Conservancy
District
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$ 166,000
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CO Water Conservation
Board & CO Division of Water Resources-- Tamarisk Eradication
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$ 400,000
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TOTAL
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$67,144,000
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The Energy and Water Appropriations
bill conference report now heads back to the House and Senate for final
approval, which is expected. Once approved by both houses of Congress,
it will head to the President’s desk where it is expected to be signed
into law.
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