Judges permit Denver to divert 77000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion

Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet. Denver Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers believe tripling the Gross Reservoir’s capacity is the best way to ensure a reliable source of water. | caduckett Denver Water’s expansion of the Gross Reservoir can continue after three judges ruled in favor of the project after a challenge from environmental group Save the Colorado. The organization sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Denver Water over the planned expansion, alleging that the organizations did not adequately consider the impact expanding the dam — and diverting an additional 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River — would have on the already-stressed body of water. A spokesperson from Denver Water provided Inside Climate News a statement regarding the judges’ decision: “An expanded Gross Reservoir is vital to the future of the Denver region, giving Denver Water far greater ability to flexibly manage constrained water supplies amid the growing risks of catastrophic wildfire and weather extremes that accompany the challenges of drought and climate change already upon us.” The Colorado River supplies 40 million people across seven Western states and Mexico with water. Climate change and overuse have
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