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o o (-, en (Jl Cll Hiahwav Route - The proposed highway route follows the west shore of Green Mountain Reservoir and west side of Colorado Highway 9 to the town of Silverthorne. Using this route would allow the installation of the pipeline in the highway right-of-way where practicaL. It would require only one crossling of the Blue River. Impacts associated with this route include traffic delays and temporary detours, soil erosion, and riparian vegetation removal along side the highway. Mountainside Gravltv Route - The mountainside gravity route would require pumping water from Green Mountain Reservoir at elevation 7900 to approximately elevation 9200 to allow for gravity flow to Dillon Reservoir. To avoid the Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area, a pressure pipeline section, as In the highway route, would be installed from the reservoir to a pump station at Slate Creek. From Slate Creek the pipeline would climb the mountain to a point where water would flow by gravity to Dillon Reservoir. The covered canal section w~uld generally follow the land contours to approx(mately elevation 9000, immediately north of Silverthorne, from which point a pressure pipeline would be employed to reach Dillon Reservoir. Along the route, inverted siphons would be used to cross under creeks. Several factors associated with this route would create negative impacts. One is excavation on steep mountain slopes to create a bench for the installation of the pipeline and the access roadway for pipeline maintenance. Another is the loss of a wide band of vegetation within the heavily forested area along the east slope of the Gore Range which could create negative environmental and visual Impacts. 2.3 INITIAL SCREENING The objective of the initial screening was to eliminate at an early stage, those reservoir sites that would not be suitable as a Joint-Use or Replacement Reservoir. To do this, existing data on the nine identified reservoir sites was gathered and analyzed. A field examination of each site was also conducted. Historical monthly streamflows were estimated and preliminary yields were calculated for each site. Environmental and geotechnical factors which could preclude or seriously impede site development were also considered. Environmental factors that were considered included known cultural resources, known threatened or endangered species, wildlife habitat and inundation of farm land. Based on the information evaluated, there appeared to be no environmental factors which would preclude further consideration of any of the reservoir sites. 2-4 .L.