“Reservoirs in Northern Colorado almost full” – that’s a headline you don’t see often enough in an arid state like ours.  Just a few years ago we were experiencing one of the worst droughts and fire seasons in Colorado history.  That is why we need to take and keep what we can get when we can get it.

Rep. Cory Gardner has always grasped this concept and been a tireless advocate for increased water storage.  Since his first day in Congress, he championed the construction of the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) – a proposed dam in northern Colorado that would preserve water needed for future growth.

Proposed site of new reservoir

Despite NISP’s endless benefits for the state and its residents, Sen. Mark Udall has refused to endorse the project – a cowardly move by any measure. 

Every year that NISP is delayed, thousands of gallons of water flow out of Colorado.  That spells bad news for agriculture and the state’s fastest growing communities.  According to NISP backers, without the project, 60,000 acres of Colorado farmland could dry up because cities will likely buy up agricultural water rights. 

NISP is such a no brainer that we can’t understand why Udall won’t man-up and support the project.  Although, given his recent penchant for following Gardner’s lead on important issues, his endorsement might be just around the corner.