WSP00569

• File Number: 8449.860
• Description: South Platte Projects - Metropolitan Denver Water Study
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 1/1/1985
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Metropolitan Denver Water Supply Environmental Impact Statement - Appendix 4 and 4b - Water Sources For Future Supply
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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costs related to transaction, acquisitions, or.mitigstion that could be

expected to result from the resolution of environmental and institu-

tional issues associated with the project development.

Estimated costs are available for Wolford Mountain Reservoir. The

total capital costs for a 60,000 acre-foot reservoir are estimated to

be about $90 million and the annual ope rat ion and maintenance cost is

estimated to be approximately $50,000.

This facility is used as the

representative replacement reservoir for this analysis. Based upon the
cost estimates, the unit cost per scre-foot of safe yield for phase I
(10,000 acre-feet) is negligible and the unit cost for phase 2 (14,000
acre-feet) is approximately $530. The unit cost of both phase 1 and
phase 2 (24,000 acre-feet) would be approximately $300. Mitigation
costs would add approximately $3 to $34 million to total project cost.

Significant Impacts

Si~nificant impacts resulting from phase 1 of the Blue River

exchange would be limited to wetlands and riparian areas. Wetlsnds

changes that would eventu!tlly result from phase 2 operations would

depend on the interactions and extent of change of the various flow

conditions affected by phsse 1 operations. Altered reservoir flows

would result in increased riparian vegetation and new growth of trees

and shrubs along existing channels.

Significant impacts resulting from the construction and operation

of new storage facilities for phase 2 of the Blue River exchanee would

occur to aquatic life, wetlands. and ripsrian areas, soils, wildli fe,

threatened and endangered species, socioeconomics, and land use. A

summary description of each significant impact follows.

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