Ten out of ten of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s community project funding requests benefiting Colorado’s Third District were approved by the full Appropriations Committee and include over $19.7 million for important water and infrastructure projects in the Third District.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “I’m excited to announce that the House Appropriations Committee has approved over $19.7 million for 10 important water and infrastructure projects that I requested be funded in Colorado’s Third District. These include important resources for expanding water storage, improving water quality, funding water treatment plants, building new water supply lines, reducing congestion on I-70, and building roads and bridges. I am delivering results for Colorado’s Third District, and all ten of my congressionally directed spending requests passed wither the Subcommittee or full Appropriations Committee. While this is great news and we are in a strong position with these projects being included with the base bills, I will not rest until funding for these 10 important water and infrastructure projects is signed into law.”
Rep. Boebert Community Project Funding Requests That Passed the Full House Appropriations Committee:
Project: Huerfano County Water Storage.
Recipient Organization: Huerfano County Water Conservancy District.
Location: Walsenburg, CO
Amount Requested: $2,040,768
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,576,000
Project Description: Funding for the Huerfano County Water Storage Project will be used to fortify the bank of Sheep Mountain Reservoir, an important augmentation facility located in Gardner in Huerfano County. Fortifying this reservoir will increase available water storage.
Project: Wolf Creek Reservoir
Recipient Organization: Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District
Location: Rangely, CO
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $5,000,000
Project Description: The project will provide a critical water supply, as well as protect and stimulate rural development, including agriculture, for present and future water users. It will also foster new employment, income, business generation, and tax revenues to Northwest Colorado. This project will generate a cumulative total of $535 million in local spending resulting in $19 million in sales tax revenues and 360 new jobs for the first 30 years of operations.
Project: Silt Water Plant Renovations
Recipient Organization: Town of Silt
Location: Silt, CO
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,750,000
Project Description: The Town of Silt water plant project will improve the water capacity and quality of drinking water in the Town of Silt. The only source of water for Silt is the Colorado River. With the latest wildfires and mudslides, water quality of the river has diminished. Treating this water is becoming more problematic. This plant will ensure that Silt will be able to treat the water effectively and supply the Town with quality water.
Project: Gunnison Water Treatment Plant Project
Recipient Organization: City of Gunnison
Location: Gunnison, CO
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee or Subcommittee: $1,750,000
Project Description: This will help fund a new water treatment plant to supply water to Gunnison’s citizens. The city desires to construct a new plant to implement modern treatment processes to refine water quality for its citizens and to diversify its water intake source by using the city’s robust water rights portfolio.
Project: Cottonwood Pass Blue Hill
Recipient Organization: Colorado Department of Transportation
Location: Eagle County, CO
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,500,000
Project Description: I-70 through Glenwood Canyon has a high probability of frequent closures due to rockslides and mudslides because of the Grizzly Creek Fire in 2020. These closures have a lasting effect on tourism and local businesses and negatively impact the rural economy. The Blue Hill segment of Cottonwood Pass in Eagle County has been identified as an early action safety improvement project in the larger Cottonwood Pass improvements project. With improvements, Blue Hill will be the safest way for motorists to access Cottonwood Pass and help prevent a 6-hour detour through northern Colorado when I-70 shuts down. Congresswoman Boebert also introduced the I-70 Detour Act to direct the Secretary of Transportation to plan for a long-term solution to mitigate the impact of I-70 closures. Additionally, Congresswoman Boebert submitted a grant request letter supporting projects improving the I-70 corridor.
Project: US Highway 160/East Bayfield Parkway New Signalized Intersection
Recipient Organization: Town of Bayfield
Location: Bayfield, CO
Amount Requested: $3,047,898
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,547,000
Project Description: This intersection project is the first phase of a larger project including the construction of a new public roadway on the north side of the intersection that will connect to the existing town street system with an additional access for the middle school and a new intermediate school. This intersection is key to providing connectivity for current and future residents of Bayfield.
Project: The Medal of Honor Boulevard extension
Recipient Organization: Pueblo County Government
Location: Pueblo, CO
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,000,000
Project Description: US 50 is the only main arterial access from Pueblo West to downtown Pueblo, with no effective alternate routes in and out of the area. This singular access corridor often results in lengthy traffic delays, congestion, and collisions, severely reducing the safety of travelers. This also poses a safety threat during emergencies that require evacuation, such as fires and flooding. Emergency vehicles often struggle to travel efficiently through Pueblo West via US 50, facing delays of up to an hour, hindering critical response times, and compromising public safety. Beyond safety, existing roadway issues impact a range of factors that ultimately decrease the quality of life not only for drivers but also for the surrounding community, the wider region, and future generations. The project will reduce commuter times, improve public safety, and help economic growth. Additionally, Congresswoman Boebert submitted a grant request letter supporting the Medal of Honor Boulevard extension project.
Project: I-70 Interchange at 29 Road
Recipient Organization: City of Grand Junction
Location: Grand Junction, CO
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $2,000,000
Project Description: The project will help fund construction of a new interchange on I-70 at 29 Road. The new I-70 interchange and arterial improvements are important for local and regional connectivity and will reduce out-of-direction travel for area residents, reduce congestion at adjacent interchanges, and improve mobility and safety for the community south of I-70. The associated economic development will better connect local residents to job opportunities in planned employment centers.
Project: South Bridge
Recipient Organization: City of Glenwood Springs
Location: Glenwood Springs, CO
Amount Requested: $1,400,000
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $1,400,000
Project Description: The City of Glenwood Springs is seeking to construct a new bridge connection that will provide a critical second emergency route/evacuation access between State Highway 82 and the western side of the Roaring Fork River in the City’s South Corridor. A second bridge connection to State Highway 82 across the Roaring Fork River is needed to ensure safe travel and access for emergency vehicles and evacuees in the event of wildfires, coal seam fires, and other hazards. Evacuation modeling for the City of Glenwood Springs indicates that in the event of a catastrophic wildfire, the South Bridge would save countless lives that would otherwise be lost due to a backup of vehicles evacuating over Midland Avenue to the 27th Street Bridge. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would help fund an important project that would have a tough time being fully funded without federal funds, improves public safety, and is a top priority for local taxpayers.
Project: Craig-South Distribution Line Improvement
Recipient Organization: City of Craig
Location: Craig, CO
Amount Requested: $4,820,400
Amount Passed Appropriations Committee: $2,200,000
Project Description: The funding will be used to construct water distribution infrastructure providing potable water and fire flows to the Craig-Moffat County Airport, parks and recreational assets, or residential and industrial development and growth on the south side of the Yampa River. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it looks to support the agencies who work to control wildfires in the region and provide the Airport a seriously needed upgrade as identified in their Airport Improvement Masterplan for the improvements related to fire control and emergency response infrastructure. Areas south of the Yampa River already support a growing residential community, and this project will make it possible to attract developers and more residential opportunities with the introduction of potable water to the South Ranney and Thompson Hill areas.
