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<br />e <br /> <br />ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />The study examined several alternative water supplies available at the Town's various decreed <br /> <br /> <br />municip'al water rights. The alternatives included; expansion of the Town's existing Mill Creek <br /> <br /> <br />and/or Cornet Creek treatment plants, development of high capacity wells in the San Miguel River <br /> <br /> <br />alluvium and surface diversion from Bear Creek. Expansion of the existing Mill al1d Cornet Creek <br /> <br /> <br />treatment plans was not preferred due to limited physical water availability during the late summer <br /> <br /> <br />and winter period. Also, t!'lese alternatives would cause 'additional dir~ct depletion to the San <br /> <br /> <br />Miguel River. Similarly, the alternative of using high capacity wells in the San Miguel Aiver alluvium <br /> <br />would directly' deplete area stream flows, In addition. the development of high capacity wells, <br /> <br /> <br />including the use at the existing Town wells, was not favored due to water quality concerns <br /> <br /> <br />associat,ed with historic mining activity. Of the existing decreed locations, Bear Creek (see Figure <br /> <br /> <br />1) was favored due to its reliable yield and high quality water. At the time of the study however. <br /> <br /> <br />the Town Council made it clear that it desired to balance'its need to secure additional water <br /> <br /> <br />supplies with its goal of maintaining sufficient stl'eamflows to protect the environment of the San <br /> <br /> <br />Miguel River and its tributaries. As a result of this goal. the study also examined alternative water <br /> <br /> <br />sources that were not presently decreed for municipal use. Of these alternatives, Bridal Veil Creek <br /> <br />surfaced as the only reasonable alternative that could provide both a reliable, water supply to the <br /> <br /> <br />Town and protect instreamflow values in the basin. <br /> <br />The principal awaction of the Bridal Veil Creek basin is the 3,900 acre 'feet of active storage <br />available in Blue Lake located high in the headwaters of the basin. The lake contains high quality <br />water and affords the Town 'an opportunity to utilize storage releases during low flow periods <br />rather than diversions directly from Bear Creek or other tributary sources of the San Miguel River. <br />The combination of high quality water, reliable yield and the opportunity to divert from lake storage <br />rather than area streams made Bridal Veil Cr.ek the study's preferred alternative. Additionally, <br />there exists a network of pipes extending from Blue Lake down to Pandora that have historically <br />been used to supply water for mining, milling, hydro power and domestic purposes. Presently, the <br />pipeline system is, used, in part. by Mr. Eric Jacobson for operation of the Bridal Veil Hydroelectric <br />Power Plant. This existing water distribution network could be utilized to convey water from Blue <br />Lake to a municipal water treatment plant located near Pandora. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />11t.R'/\lt1Q:.215 <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />i=:::RESOURCE <br />:::::CNOIN.II.INCI INI;. <br /> <br />~ .~ <br /> <br />10:'" I I C:1"7<::' "'/~ rI"'IT~ITC"'I"'~ ~...,'\.It""'lnc:"":t\oI l~rn"M..J <br /> <br />WA~~'~ ~~'-hl-l <br />