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proposed project is designed to provide another 40,000 acre-feet of water for 16 <br />growing water providers located within Northern Water's boundaries. <br />Whether it is a reliable, time-proven water supply project like the C-BT Project or an <br />anticipated new project like NISP, both must comply with the Endangered Species Act <br />("ESA") requirements to either continue to provide a dependable water supply or to <br />obtain the necessary federal permits that allow the development of a new water supply <br />for Colorado's rapidly growing population. Recent studies compieted by the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board to assess future water supply needs in the state show that <br />the population within the South Platte River basin in Colorado is anticipated to grow by <br />65 percent from the year 2000 to the year 2030. To meet that growth, water providers <br />in the region will have to develop over 400,000 acre-feet of water in a basin that is over- <br />appropriated. This will require significant infrastructure additions which, in turn, will <br />require compliance with ESA. Northern Water sincerely believes that the Platte River <br />Recovery Implementation Program is the best available solution to address the species' <br />needs under the ESA and also allow the continued use and development of water in <br />northeastern Colorado. <br />Northern Water has been involved in the negotiations for the Program since 1994 <br />on behalf of the District and other Colorado Water Users. During the 12-year <br />negotiation period, Northern Water was a member of the Platte River Project, a <br />group of over 25 water users in the South Platte River in Colorado which <br />worked collaboratively with the State of Colorado to help craft the Program. <br />Currently Northern Water is a member of the Board of Directors of the South <br />Platte Water Related Activities Program, Inc. ("SPWRAP"), a Colorado non-profit <br />corporation recently formed to represent the interests of Colorado water users' <br />participating in the Program. SPWRAP has signed a Memorandum of <br />Understanding with the State of Colorado which commits SPWRAP to work with <br />the State of Colorado in meeting Colorado's obligations under the Program. <br />SPWRAP membership is currently growing daily, and we expect that the majority <br />of municipalities and many agricultural entities will become members in