PROJECT TIMELINE

WATER SUPPLY

Water Horse has applied for a point of diversion (POD) on the Green River in Utah for use in Colorado of 55,000-acre-feet annually of water.  Intervenors have contested Water Horse’s right under the Colorado Compact for this right.  Water Horse is seeking a summary judgment and its legal counsel is confident that the law (the Colorado Compact) is clear that Water Horse has this right and that there are precedents of PODs being granted for a user in another state being permitted the POD in another state. 

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Water Horse is pursuing in parallel to its Utah POD application with POD applications on both the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming.  The POD application on the Green River follows an administrative process that requires state legislative action in Wyoming that is 18 months start to finish.  Water Horse completed that filing in June 2022. The POD application on Flaming Gorge Reservoir with the Bureau of Reclamation has been filed and is currently in progress.

WATER DEMAND

Water Horse has engaged water rights and water use consultants to better define current and future water demand and market for water along the Front Range of Colorado.  This work will allow the project to focus its marketing efforts on targeted end users.  This information will be the key to better define the ultimate scope and size of the Water Horse Project.  Additionally, these consultants will be providing an overview of existing and proposed storage reservoirs along the Front Range.

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TECHNICAL

Water Horse has completed some technical work and has determined that for a 55,000-acre-feet delivery project that it will likely require a minimum 42” high pressure steel pipeline with 3 to 4 pump stations.  Order of magnitude capital cost for this project is $2.5 to $2.9 billion (in 2022 dollars).  Additionally, Water Horse has performed preliminary investigations of availability of existing storage on the Front Range and potential of new storage sites. Once the project is better defined, the project will investigate and determine the viability of hydroelectric generation and of renewable energy opportunities to provide power for pump stations. 

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ENVIRONMENTAL

Water Horse has completed a preliminary environmental assessment of the project and determined the project will not have significant impacts to the environment.  This is largely because the proposed pipeline route follows an existing federal energy corridor along Interstate Highway 80 along much of its route. Once the project is better defined, environmental work on an Environmental Impact Statement will be completed.

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LAND

Water Horse has completed a preliminary assessment of land ownership along the project route and believes the project will be able to acquire the land along the pipeline route.  This is largely because the proposed pipeline route follows multiple existing pipelines and powerline facilities along much of its route.