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I I, - The Homestake Project is a trans-mountain water diversion :i:system, It collects water from the western slope of the Contin- I ':~!ental Divide and transfers it to the eastern slope for beneficial :.; use by the Cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs, Rights to the western slope water, taken from Eagle River tributaries in the Colorado River Basin, were adjudicated by the Homestake Decree in 1962. I. SUMMARY from the Project Area as shown on Exhibit 1. Alternative Plans A, B, and C provide for gravity diversion of water; Plan 0 combines gravity and pumping; and Plans E, F, F-1. and F-2 combine gravity, storage, and pumping. Plans A through E con- template construction by the Cities alone although Plan E would require acquisition of a reservoir site from the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD); Plans F through G would require varying degrees of joint undertaking with the CRWCD and/or the Denver Water Board (DWB). Both the CRWCD and DWB own rights to Eagle River tributary waters although the rights in both cases are junior to those of the Cities. I I. I I I The decree provided for two divisions in the collection system: (1) the Eagle-Arkansas Division to collect waters from tributaries generally on the east side of the Eagle River and (2) the Home- stake Division to collect waters from tributaries on the west side of the Eagle River. I I Phase 1 of the Homestake Division collection facilities has been completed, This phase is described herein in Section II.A, Phase 2 collection facilities under the Homestake Division are the sub- ject of this environmental study and report. Phase 2 contemplates development of East Cross Creek. Cross Creek, West Cross Creek, Fall Creek, Whitney Creek, Peterson Creek. and other unnamed min.o.r streams. These creek drainage basins comprise the Project '_.oJ Ar~ bounded generally by the Eagle River, the Continental Di~, the Sawatch Range. and various ridge lines as shown on E~it2. To assist in evaluating impacts to the local and regional environ- ment by the proposed project. a brief description of project components and construction procedures is given in Section III, and a description of existing environmental conditions and socio- economic patterns is given in Section IV. To assess the environ- mental impact on the Project Area of the various plans being considered to extend the Homestake Collection System, an environmental evaluation system was adopted. This system is based on evaluation methods developed by a mu Itiagency task force under the leadership of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). and adopted by the Bureau for planning and evaluation of its water resource projects. In the USBR system. environ- mental impacts are analyzed for the resource evaluation categor- ies established by the Water Resources Council in its report entitled "Proposed Principles and Standards for Planning Water and Related Land Resources", This system is described in Sec- tion V.A. I I I The project generally consists of facilities for (1) collection, (2) upstream storage, (3) delivery. and (4) downstream storage of water. Major components of the joint facilities for upstream storage and delivery of water are complete, Each city has or will d eve lop individual downstream storage facilities. Those for Colorado Springs are essentially completed; whereas, Aurora is presently considering additional storage sites. I I Nine alternative plans investigated by the Cities are described in Section II,B, of this report. Eight of these plans are contained essentially within the Project Area. The ninth plan is remote The environmental and socio-economic impacts which could result from implementation of the various alternative plans are detailed in Sections V.B and V,C. A listing of adverse environ- mental effects, including the quantity of each resource which would be relocated, modified, disrupted, or destroyed, is given in Section V I. These adverse effects are identified here for the eight alternative plans under consideration in the Project Area. 1