Johnstown commits $140m to NISP water supply
Town of Johnstown, Colorado · Meeting date: November 2, 2026 · Published: November 3, 2026
Johnstown Town Council has approved its first participation agreement for the Northern Integrated Supply Project, securing a proposed 1,400 NISP units. The town expects the allocation to provide about 1,275 acre-feet per year from the Glade Reservoir project, subject to current preliminary yields.
Key points
- Council approved Johnstown's first NISP interim participation agreement, covering 1,400 NISP units.
- The proposed allocation is expected to yield approximately 1,275 acre-feet per year from Glade Reservoir under current preliminary yield estimates.
- Johnstown's initial payment is $893,846 for the May-December 2026 project phases; its estimated total NISP cost is approximately $140 million, subject to final bids.
- NISP is estimated to cost $1.9 billion for Glade Reservoir construction and is intended to deliver up to 40,000 acre-feet of new reliable water annually to Northern Front Range providers.
Full report
Johnstown Town Council has approved the town's entry into the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP), committing to a 1,400-unit allocation expected to provide approximately 1,275 acre-feet of water a year from the Glade Reservoir project.
The November 2 decision approves the Twenty-Second Interim Agreement with the Northern Integrated Supply Project Water Activity Enterprise. Although it is the enterprise's 22nd interim agreement, it is Johnstown's first formal participation agreement for NISP.
Johnstown's initial contribution is $893,846, covering its pro-rata share of costs for the project's May-December 2026 phases. Those phases include permitting and agency consultation, Glade Reservoir final-design advancement, Highway 287 relocation final design and construction-manager/general-contractor involvement, preliminary design for Galeton Dam, conveyance refinement, land and easement work, mitigation planning, project financial planning and potential early pipeline work.
The town estimates that its total project cost will be about $140 million, subject to final bid submittals. Final bid estimates are expected later in 2026 for review by the NISP Water Activity Enterprise. Staff said the town could consider increasing its participation level after final bids are available.
The town's 1,400 NISP units represent 6.7% of the current 20,900-unit participant total. Under the agreement, Johnstown's base requested capacity determines its cost allocation. The agreement permits the town to request additional capacity, subject to enterprise board approval and payment on a consistent per-unit basis.
NISP is focused on construction of Glade Reservoir and is estimated at $1.9 billion. The project is intended to deliver up to 40,000 acre-feet of new reliable water annually to providers across the Northern Front Range. Johnstown staff described the project as a means of adding water-resource security and diversity for current and future users.
The decision adds a regional-supply component to Johnstown's wider water programme. At the same meeting, council approved the purchase of 15 Colorado-Big Thompson project units for $900,000, or $60,000 per unit. It also approved a $150,645 construction-manager-at-risk design-phase agreement with Connell Resources for the town's raw water transmission project, alongside a further $20,000 available at the town manager's discretion for additional CMAR services.
The raw water project comprises an 11-mile, 30-inch transmission main and pump station from Lonetree Reservoir to Johnstown's water treatment plant. Construction is anticipated to run from spring 2027 to spring 2029, subject to a future guaranteed maximum price and construction agreement.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Town Council Regular Meeting, Town of Johnstown