Denver Water and Western Slope leaders have reached a deal to try to save the Fraser River and its trout while letting Denver siphon 11 percent more water across the Continental Divide.
The deal obligates city, state and Grand County watershed experts to monitor temperatures in the Fraser and tributaries, count stone flies and other aquatic insects crucial for trout, and document how water flows affect vegetation.
Federal authorities still must approve Denver Water’s $360 million Moffat project, which would put 18,000 acre-feet more water a year into an enlarged Gross Reservoir southwest of Boulder.
A journalist and lawyer, Bruce Finley has investigated local, national and international issues with on-site reporting in more than 40 countries. In his position as a staff writer for the Denver Post, he is focusing on environment-related news including water challenges, the oil and gas boom and wildfire.
