Here’s a report from Tom Hacker writing for the Loveland Reporter-Herald. From the article:

The Anderson Farm, once a working farm but now an entertainment and education venue, hosted the event organized by the Colorado Farm Bureau and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the architect of the project. “People say there is a crisis coming,” former Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said in warming up the crowd of about 200. “I’m here to tell you the crisis is already here.”

Farmers in Northern Colorado have said since the time the project was unveiled six years ago that it is the only thing standing between their livelihoods and the water needs of growing Front Range communities…

Opponents, led by the conservation group Friends of the Poudre, say the project would drop Poudre flow levels so low that water quality and wildlife habitat would be severely affected. They use the slogan “Save the Poudre” to make their point. But the mantra Thursday was “Save the Poudre, Store it in Glade,” with banners carrying the message hoisted at the Anderson Farm and bumper stickers available for attendees to take with them.

Well it has been an interesting week for politicians and alleged plagiarism. It looks like two northern Colorado lawmakers helped themselves to a colleague’s opinion piece in support of the Northern Integrated Supply Project. Here’s a report from Kelly King writing for the Loveland Connection. From the article:

Columns purportedly authored by Rep. BJ Nikkel, R-Loveland, and Weld County Commissioner Doug Rademacher focused on the need for new water storage capabilities in Northern Colorado, highlighted their support for the Northern Integrated Water Supply Project, or NISP, and encouraged readers to attend a Thursday agricultural rally in Erie. Nikkel’s and Rademacher’s columns published in the Berthoud Recorder, Windsor Beacon and Greeley Tribune closely mirrored a column published in the Denver Post, written by Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway.

Conway admits he provided his writings to Nikkel and Rademacher after they expressed interest in spreading news about the agricultural rally and their support of NISP. “Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a longtime supporter of NISP,” Conway said. “Leading up the ag rally, I wanted people to know about the event. I submitted a column to the Denver Post as an exclusive update about the event, authored by me. “Over the course of the next few days, my office mate, Doug Rademacher, said he wanted to submit something to the Greeley paper about the event. I offered him the column and said ‘Use what you want.’ Essentially, he took it and ran with it and I’m fine with that.”

Conway said he also talked with Nikkel, who wanted to submit a column to newspapers in her district, in Loveland, Berthoud and Windsor. “I sent her the column and told her she had my permission to use it,” Conway said.

More Northern Integrated Supply Project coverage here and here.