Flaming Gorge Pipeline
The Flaming Gorge Pipeline project would divert 250,000 acre-feet of water each year from the Green River near Flaming Gorge Reservoir in southwestern Wyoming to the Front Range of Colorado to fuel unbridled growth.
The pipeline would be enormously expensive, costing up to $9 billion and as much as $30,000 per acre-foot - the most expensive water in Colorado history. In addition to its financial cost, the proposed pipeline would cause irreversible damage to the Green River in Wyoming and Colorado, and the Colorado River downstream. The pipeline would degrade native ecosystems, damage the fishery, and undermine the recreation economy from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, through the Grand Canyon, and all the way to Mexico. The pipeline would drain an average of 20 to 25 percent of the Green River's entire flow each year.
Because most of the Colorado River is already over-allocated, the additional diversions proposed by the pipeline would have significant negative impacts on existing downstream users, including farmers in western Colorado and municipal and agricultural users throughout the southwestern U.S., including Southern California.
There are much better alternatives to meet the future water supply needs of Colorado and other Colorado Basin states, including active water conservation, strong land-use planning and growth management, increased water re-use and recycling, and cooperative water-sharing agreements with farmers.
Latest News
Big Win for the Colorado River: FERC dismisses application for proposed Flaming Gorge Pipeline!
In a startling announcement, FERC, the federal agency considering a proposed multibillion dollar diversion of the Green River, announced the agency was dismissing the preliminary permit application for the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was weighing initial approval for the massive and complicated proposed diversion of the Green River at Flaming Gorge proposed by Wyco Power and Water.
"This is unprecedented because FERC gives away preliminary permits like candy," said Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council. "The fact they turned down the preliminary permit is an indication of what a lemon this idea was," said Frankel.
Another indication of the impacts of the proposal can be seen by the sheer number of parties who protested the application. Scores of parties intervened in this process, including Wyoming towns, counties, the Wyoming Governor's Office, fish and game departments, businesses and conservation organizations.
"This is great news for everyone who depends on both the Green and the Colorado River" said Christi Nuffer, Administrator for Citizen's for Dixie's Future. "This proposal threatened water users, recreationists, farmers and ranchers, and thousands of businesses," said Nuffer.
"This is not just a victory for residents of three states, it's a victory for the tens of millions of Americans who depend upon the Colorado River" said Michael Kellett, Program Director of the Glen Canyon Institute. "The Colorado is a globally important river that must be protected from short-sighted speculators," said Kellett.
It's uncertain what the next steps might be for the applicant. This defeat comes after the Army Corps of Engineers also dismissed the project for lack of sufficient studies and preparation. This dismissal may curtail fundraising by the project applicants, which could finally mean the end of this proposal.
You can download FERC's full "Order Dismissing Preliminary Permit Application" here.