On August 24, 2023, Denver Water submitted a new exploratory drilling proposal to the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) requesting a permit to expand the Osprey Point Quarry westward onto adjoining National Forest Service (NFS) land. Denver Water has determined that the current quarry site is insufficient to handle the demands of the Gross Reservoir expansion.

The expansion of the quarry includes building a road of about 1,000 feet in length onto NFS land, cutting an estimated 50-60 trees, drilling nine borings with unspecified depths to collect material samples, and spreading about 1,800 gallons of drilling slurry over the area.

In his response, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest Supervisor Monte Williams sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which oversees the permitting of hydroelectric facilities on October 17, 2023, recapping Denver Water’s proposal and outlining the steps needed to review and approve the proposal. In his letter, Williams determined that the proposal isn’t covered by either the 2019 Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment or the 2014 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Williams’ conclusion was that Denver Water’s proposal will require a separate analysis to ensure that the proposed expansion of the Osprey Point Quarry complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Forest Service Resource Specialists will be working on determining the requirements for NEPA compliance and a decision on the proposed drilling work is expected by January 5, 2024, or sooner.

Williams also noted that there has been unauthorized timber removal in relation to the Gross Reservoir expansion and a Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer is investigating the unauthorized overcutting. The Forest Service has been receiving rush requests by Denver Water for unplanned timber removal in areas that were not accounted for in the Final Tree Removal Plan dated June 7, 2021.

The letter concludes by Williams reiterating that the Forest Service has limited personnel and time capacity to process requests from external parties for the use or occupancy of NFS lands. To meet all the laws, regulations, and policies that the agency must adhere to, the Forest Service is requesting adequate lead times for new project-related proposals for sufficient review.

The environmental organizations who have filed a lawsuit against Denver Water and the expansion project were critical of the new proposal. They are questioning how the project designers could not have foreseen the need for a bigger quarry than the one that was originally submitted.

Additional information can be found at denverwater.org/grossreservoir and tegcolorado.org.