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Fish Creek ResenJoir Expansion EIS ::~-i~:-::>>",*:;;;0.~i".:::,,~.,':(;:::.~;::<<::-i;;.'?-?<,;;;:::X::::;:x:::::::::t:;:.:&:f.;;::';~:;:;::::::::::::~:::;:.;':3::::::::i~<:;~%~~::-.;,:;;;:::~~:.:;:.;:<,:;:.;,:,:::.:;~,:;;:>>"<<$;:::;.~.::~~;~,:::~:m:;:;::~;:';"W;:;~$::::::i;:.;y';;>:::::;:;:';0%~X"Z;:.;'ill=;S:1i:::;:>>:$::;:.;::.::~.a:~"t..%:0;:; in the Fish Creek supply and/or filtration system. Of these three recommendations, the planning efforts identified the filtration plant as the most urgently needed, followed by the development of the infiltration gallery, and finally, the Fish Creek Reservoir enlargement. In 1980, the City applied for, and received, a conditional water right decree for 2,000 AF of water storage in the Fish Creek Reservoir. In 1985, the City completed a 3.0 MGD enlargement of Mt. Werner's water filtration facility on Fish Creek. In 1989, the City acquired an 80-acre site for the proposed infiltration gallery and in 1991, the City completed work on the infiltration gallery. The expansion of the Fish Creek Reservoir is the remaining element of the City's 1981 water planning efforts. In addition to Mt. Werner's immediate need for water storage, the City and Mt. Werner considered other economic and environmental factors in determining why it would be in the community's best interest to expand the reservoir at this time. These factors include: . Present day interest rates are extremely favorable and are at a historic low. Taking advantage of these rates would result in significant savings to the taxpayer. . Both the City and Mt. Werner are in a position to financially and technically undertake the six million dollar proposed expansion at this time. The Steamboat Springs City Council passed a resolution approving a financial arrangement for the expansion of the reservoir if the Forest Service selects the Proposed Action after analysis. . Fish Creek Reservoir is an existing facility. No undisturbed site would have to be impacted to increase municipal water supply. . Due to the design and operation of the existing reservoir, environmental damage is occurring to the Puppy Dog Lake channel, located below the spillway of the Fish Creek Reservoir. Prior to construction of the reservoir, most of the spring runoff flow was naturally channelized through the Middle Fork of Fish Creek. Presently, however, high spring runoff flows are released through the spillway to Puppy Dog Lake and its drainage channel. This is occurring because the main dam outlet is not large enough to carry these seasonal flows to the Middle Fork of Fish Creek. Consequently, the increased flow, and subsequent erosional process, has caused the natural Puppy Dog Lake channel to change dramatically. The proposed project would re-establish the natural flow regime and most of the spring runoff flow would be carried through a larger outlet Structure in the main dam to the Middle Fork of Fish Creek. Runoff flow through the spillway and the Puppy Dog Lake channel would therefore be minimized, allowing for the rehabilitation of the channel. . It would be less environmentally damaging to expand the reservoir at this time because the reservoir could be drained during construction activities without causing a serious water shortage to the residents of Steamboat Springs. An upstream (inside) raise of the dam could be accomplished which would minimize impacts to the environment. If the reservoir expansion is delayed, water demands in the future would prevent draining the reservoir during the construction period. Consequently, this delay would result in a downstream (outside) raise of the dam, ::-::;.:;:::':K$::;:.;::::::<=~:::::.~Y;P,.;,;:t3:--;~$::::::;::::~~&;,*,",;::~-:::~,:;"t>m;".;$:;-:::;::.':;.:;::.::;>>:<<<::;x.::;;K::y;~:;:::.:::x<:;::.::::::;:.:::::::t:>>::;::~:,-w.:.~':;.;<.~;;,."W";.,~::::"t.-$i,'".:<::=-A;:z:::'~;::::"';:;:;:;:;:"~:"S:'~~';';:;~;i;":i?J::f.:.':i.~%x$~'-;:::::;:~*{<:::::.::X Page 5-2 September 1993