Summit County Citizens Voice

The proposed pipeline would carry water 560 miles from Wyoming to the Front Range. MAP COURTESY WESTERN RESOURCE ADVOCATES. Click on the image to visit Western Resource Advocates online.

Aaron Million wants to build a pipeline to carry water from Wyoming to Front Range

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Planning for a pipeline project that could deliver Green River water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range has been moving slowly, and now, Aaron Million, the project’s proponent, has said he wants to speed the process by switching the review and permitting process from the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Million has been touting the pipeline for many years , but it’s not clear if the project is viable financially, or if it could deliver as much water as promised. The Corps of Engineers project page is online here.

Several regional and state groups have taken early looks at the proposal, but as yet, nobody has stepped forth to fully claim and embrace the long-distance pipeline. According to one review by the Colorado Water Conservation Board, construction could cost $7.4 billion, with annual operating costs of $170 million.

In making the switch, Million may be aiming to present the pipeline as an energy project, but conservation advocates pointed up that, even with a hydropower component, the pipeline would use more energy than it produces.

Western Resource Advocates responded to the proposed changes by saying that any new review should start at the beginning, with a clearly defined purpose and need to guide the environmental studies. That would give stakeholders in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado to weigh in on the “new” form of the project.

“We expect whatever agency takes a close look at the proposal will reveal Million’s empty promise that the project could generate hydroelectric power — it will be net power user,” according to water expert Bart Miller.

“Today, the Million project is no closer to delivering water to Coloradoans than it was two years ago. It’s time for water providers to focus on real solutions that can meet Colorado’s future water needs. This is yet another example of why the proposal is not-ready-for-prime-time, and why Colorado should not establish a “task force” to pursue a similar project. Miller said.

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, rivers, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, water Tagged: | Colorado, Colorado Front Range, Environment, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Front Range water needs, Million pipeline, Summit County News, Utah, water