Lower South Platte River Study

• Contractor Name: Colorado Water Conservation Board
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

Lower South Platte River Study
Colorado Water Conservation Board
December 2001
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Section 3 - Overview of Permitting
Issues
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1 A preliminary identification of potential permitting issues was prepared for the Lower South
Platte reservoir siting study area, based on the study team's experience on similar projects
and input from the Colorado Attorney General's office. Further review of the key issues,
ongoing activities related to the Platte River, and field reconnaissance may change some of
the conclusions presented herein.
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Recent experience suggests that the permitting and mitigation costs involved in developing a
1 reservoir in Colorado can approach 20 percent of total project costs. An integrated planning
and permitting process can help streamline the permit approval process and provide
substantial overall project savings. Water projects are generally subject to federal, state, and
1 county permitting requirements. A list of the permits that may be required prior to
construction of any of the reservoir sites is provided in Table 3-1. An overview of some of
the key federal, state, and county permits anticipated for a new water development project in
the Lower South Platte River Basin is provided below.
3.1 Federal Permits and NEPA
The federal permitting process has the potential to be the most complex and costly element of
1 permitting,because any major federal action, such as a federal permit approval, requires
documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It is possible that an
Individual 404 Dredge and Fill Permit, required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(COE)
1 may be required to construct any new dam in the study area. The trigger for a 404 Permit
would be impacts to "waters of the United States"including wetlands. Approval of an
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Individual 404 Permit, if such a permit is needed, will require NEPA documentation as either
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Assessment(EA). If it is
likely that there will be no significant project impacts, an EA most likely would be required
prior to a Finding of No Significant Impact(FONSI). If more significant potential impacts
are identified, the preparation of a more complex and costly EIS may be required.
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1 GEI Consultants, Inc. 3-1 01002 Dec 2001 Lower South Platte River Study