PUB00047

• Year: 2000
• Title: SECWD/Arkansas Basin Preferred Storage Options Plan Final Draft Report
• Author: GEI Consultants, Inc
• Description: SECWD/Arkansas Basin Preferred Storage Options Plan Final Draft Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Resource Studies

Final Draft - Preferred Storage Options Plan
Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District
June 8, 2000

. Pueblo Reservoir enlargement also will require an EIS. Anticipated effects on
wetlands, the wildlife inhabiting those wetlands, and bald eagles will be
significant issues. Wetland pennitting and mitigation likely will be challenging,
but feasible.

. Turquoise Reservoir enlargement should not have significant environmental
issues, provided that there are no significant changes in flow that adversely affect
aquatic resources or downstream water quality. CDOW has indicated their
concerns about potential reductions in reservoir productivity at both Turquoise
Lake and Twin Lakes in light of Turquoise enlargement and Project re-operations.
These issues will need to be addressed in subsequent studies.

. Lake Meredith enlargement faces a significant wetland pennitting hurdle that may
be difficult to overcome. It may be difficult to gain approval for the inundation
of I ,200 acres of wetlands and to develop successful compensatory mitigation for
this loss.

. Storage in gravel lakes does not appear to have significant environmental issues.
Environmental authorizations usually can be addressed as part of gravel pit
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. The proposed Williams Creek Reservoir will need to address species of concern
(mountain plover, prairie dog, and Arkansas darter) and wetland impacts. These
impacts likely can be mitigated and the needed authorizations gained.

. Potential changes in stream flow in the upper Arkansas River could adversely
impact aquatic resource habitat in the winter and during peak flow periods.
Potential changes in stream flow in the lower Arkansas below Pueblo may
improve the quality of the fish habitat; however, no definitive studies have been
performed as yet to confirm this potential. Substantial year-round increases in
Fountain Creek stream flow would adversely impact small fish and aquatic
habitat, but increases in flow are likely to occur regardless of the alternative
actions being considered.

. Changes in water quality directly, associated with alternative storage
developments, are generally expected to be minor and are not likely to result in
significant adverse impacts to aquatic resources. A possible exception is the
potential increase in salinity and eutrophication at Lake Meredith.

Table 4.1 provides an overview of the environmental pennitting considered at this time to be
likely for each storage option.

m GEl Consultants, Inc.

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