Denver’s Gross Reservoir expansion violates law, federal judge rules
Denver Water’s permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the ongoing expansion of Gross Reservoir violates the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, according to a ruling Wednesday from a U.S. District Court judge. Senior federal judge Christine Arguello did not order Denver Water to stop construction in Boulder County, which has been underway since 2022, but said the environmental plaintiffs have a right to relief from any damage that will occur to surrounding land and forest once the dam closes and the expanded pool rises. … “It’s huge. Put that in capital letters,” said Save the Colorado founder Gary Wockner in an interview. “It’s a stunning victory for the Colorado River, for the people of Boulder County and Grand County,” Wockner said. “Boulder County, because of where this massive project was being built, and in Grand County, because their rivers were going to be further drained. And it’s a victory for the rule of law.”
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