Community Development Offices - System Update on November 25 & 26, 2024
The Larimer County Community Development Department (Building, Planning, Code Compliance) will conduct a system update on November 25 & 26. This update also affects groups outside of Community Development, including the Weeds District and Engineering. The Online Customer Portal is part of this update and will not be available. No inspections or permitting will take place online. Inspections will be performed on Monday, November 25. Staff on call will be available, but we cannot initiate new permits, code cases or zoning files or look up information regarding existing permits, code cases or zoning files, etc. Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience.
For the full length report, please click on the "Regional Water Study - Previous Work" section below
Welcome to the Water Master Plan project page!
Larimer County, guided by a commitment to stewardship, is dedicated to safeguarding local and regional water systems, aligning future land use with available water resources, and helping to build resilient communities and ecosystems equipped to address future water challenges.
We are excited to present the Adoption Draft to you!
This draft represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to ensure a sustainable and resilient water future for the county. We invite you to explore the strategies and goals we've developed to address the county's water challenges, support local ecosystems, and secure water resources for generations to come.
The Adoption Draft is Headed to the Planning Commission for the Consideration of Adoption.
The Water Master Plan is scheduled for a Planning Commission hearing November 20, 2024, for adoption. This milestone represents the culmination of many months of collaboration, analysis, and feedback from our community and stakeholders—input that has been invaluable in shaping a plan that is truly reflective of the diverse needs and priorities of Larimer County.
If you are interested, Planning Commission hearings are open to the public, and there will be time for public input (during the Water Master Plan portion of the agenda) if you are inclined to speak up:
Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Start Time: 6:00 PM MST (please note it is the last item on the agenda)
Location: Hybrid
In-Person: Hearing Room 1st Floor, 200 West Oak Street, Fort Collins
Q3 2023: PROJECT START: Identification of stakeholders, invites to advisory groups, creation of a public engagement plan.
Q4 2023: PROJECT UNDERWAY: Data inventory and gap analysis, identification of goals and visions.
Q1 - Q2 2024: PROJECT MAPPING: Prepare watershed maps and begin analysis of water related risks and vulnerabilities to Larimer County.
Q3 2024: PROJECT RESULTS: Develop strategies, implementation measures, and mitigation that will go into the Water Master Plan.
Q3 - Q4 2024: PROJECT DRAFT: Water Master Plan drafted and ready for review.
Q4 2024: WE ARE HERE! PROJECT FINISH: The Water Master Plan to be adopted by the Larimer County Planning Commission, and the adoption to be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. If approved, the plan will become an element of the Comprehensive Plan.
Larimer County Priority Watershed Categories and Criteria are used to guide the Water Master Plan. These were originally developed in October of 2023 and have seen many iterations due to feedback from the County Core Team, Water and Technical Advisory Groups, insight from the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission, input from five Larimer County Advisory Boards, and comments from the public,
Categories 1-4 can be mapped spatially and will be included in the watershed mapping part of the project, whereas Risk Categories 5-6 will be addressed in the plan but will not be mapped.
Larimer County prioritized risk categories and criteria.
Priority Watershed Category
Priority Watershed Criteria
(1) Supply and demand planning
Increasing demand from population growth
Uncertain water futures as it relates to climate
Changes in land use
(2) Hazards to watersheds
Wildfires with high burn severity
Source water quality
Habitat
(3) Water rights
Water rights impacted by administrative calls on the river
Colorado-Big Thompson Project (CBT) use
Urban encroachment on agricultural lands
(4) Infrastructure
Water delivery infrastructure
Storage
(5) Lack of water conservation policies or measures
The Vision and Goals below consolidate input gathered from various sources, including feedback from five Larimer County boards, conversations with the project's advisory groups, insights from the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners, the Nov. 6th, 2023 Vision and Goals public workshop, internal staff contributions, and comments from the public. They are subject to minor adjustments through the development of the Water Master Plan.
Vision:
Larimer County, guided by a commitment to stewardship, is dedicated to safeguarding local and regional water systems, aligning future land use with available water resources, and helping to build resilient communities and ecosystems equipped to address future water challenges.
Goals:
Minimize the Threat to Watersheds from Hazards (i.e., floods, severe wildfires)
Communicate and Collaborate to Support Water Sustainability
Promote Water Literacy in Our Community
Align Land Use Planning with Water Resources
Enhance Water Efficiency and Conservation Measures
Sign-up to stay involved by sending your contact information to LC Water Plan
Public Engagement Overview:
The Water Master Plan will include a robust public engagement process. Staff and consultants will keep the public informed and provide opportunities for public input and comment throughout the process. Additionally, Larimer County staff and SWCA will collaborate with a Technical Advisory Group made up of water managers and staff from Larimer County and larger municipalities and will also involve a Water Advisory Group made up of other interested parties. In addition, the public engagement process will gather input from members of the public who are interested in, and potentially affected by, water management and policy in Larimer County and the region to help shape the final plan. The project team will use several strategies to maintain a transparent and open process with the public to encourage participation and provide the community with meaningful opportunities to engage.
This webpage will be updated throughout the development of the Water Master Plan including with questionnaires and interactive components.
At least two public open house events will be held.
The team will check in with boards and commissions periodically.
The Draft Plan Open House was held on October 9th, 2024. This was an opportunity for members of the public, stakeholders, and staff to engage with and provide feedback on the draft plan and proposed strategies of the Water Master Plan.
Folks gather at 200 W, Oak St in Fort Collins, Colorado for a Water Master Plan Draft Results Open House. Posters were displayed so members of the public could explore the results at their own pace, with staff in attendance for any discussion or questions. This Open House occurred on May 1st, 2024.
At a Vision and Goals workshop on November 6th, 2023, community members were able to provide their input on the direction this project should go. The workshop was held at 200 Peridot Ave in Loveland, Colorado.
Are you interested in getting up to speed with the Water Plan project? Staff are excited to present the preliminary draft of the Water Master Plan!
On Wednesday, October 9, 2024 Larimer County staff hosted an Draft Plan Open House (please find the spotlight here), and the content is posted below so you can explore the Virtual Open House at your own pace. Please click through the posters and materials below to learn about the draft plan and the proposed strategies.
Are you interested in getting up to speed with the Water Plan project? Please click through the posters and materials below to learn about the project and to see preliminary results that we are excited to work through as a community. On Wednesday, May 1st, 2024 Larimer County staff hosted an Open House (please find the spotlight here), and the content is posted below so you can explore the Virtual Open House at your own pace.
Have any comments or feedback along the way?
Great! We encourage and welcome them. Please email LCwaterplan@co.larimer.co.us on comments related to the project as a whole, or any specific ideas you've had that could mitigate some of the water-related vulnerabilities our community faces. Please read through each poster to learn more.
The purpose of the vision and goals workshop was to share information about the overall project and issues the county faces related to water use and conservation, support dialog between diverse interested parties, and gather feedback on a vision statement and final set of tiered goals for Larimer County to use in guiding the creation of the Water Master Plan.
Please read through the materials created for the workshop:
Through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, Larimer County selected and has engaged SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) and AE2S, to work with staff, other advisors, the public, boards and commissions, and the Board of County Commissioners to prepare a Water Master Plan. The consultant firms have capabilities to address cultural, natural, and water resources management, wildfire planning, regulatory compliance, and climate change. They also can address water challenges and risks such as future water demands and use of available water rights. The project is partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Act’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
Last year as a precursor to the plan, Larimer County engaged a consultant, Brendle Group, to conduct the regional water Existing Conditions study and to facilitate work sessions and an open house to do initial visioning and goal setting. The Existing Conditions report and Executive Summary are below. The work from 2022 is foundational for the next stages of water planning.
Welcome to the Water Master Plan project page!
We are excited to present the Adoption Draft to you!
