Front Range Water Project Could Mean 650,000 Trees Get The Chop

More than half a million trees in Colorado could disappear if the final federal permit for Denver Water's proposed reservoir expansion is approved.

The Daily Camera reports the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to rule early next year on what would be the biggest public works project in Boulder County history, exceeding the original construction of the Gross Reservoir Dam, which was completed in 1954.

Denver Water's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission application states all trees and their associated debris will have to be removed during the expansion, which is expected to be completed by 2025.

Denver Water spokeswoman Stacy Chesney says the agency has estimated "up to 650,000 trees will need to be removed in the area surrounding Gross Reservoir."