WSP01569

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 2/4/1972
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Final Environmental Statement for Bear Creek Flood Control Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WlLDUFE SERVlCE
BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE

Federal Building, Fori Snelling
Twin Cities, Minnesota 5S \ l \

October 12, 1971

IN REPLY REPEl!. TO:

Col. B. P. Pendergrass, District Engineer
U, S. Army Engineer District, Omaha
Corps of Engineers
7410 U. S. Post Office and Court House
Qnaba, Nebraska 68102

Dear Colonel P~ndergrass:

This letter is in response to Mr. Burnett's letter of September 10,
1.971., requesting our views and comments on a draft of the five point
environmental statement for the Bear Creek ram and Lak~ project near
Morrison, Colorado.

The Bear Creek project 1s located near Denver and the demand for water-
based public use facilities will increase as the metropolitan area grows.
As an important part of the project planning, efforts should be made to
conserve and improve the fish and wildlife and natural resources for the
enjoyment and us~ by the public. The propos~d Interstate 470 route
betw~en Soda Lake and Mount Glennon would adverselJ' affect public use
on the project lands and is not compatible with sound fish and wildlife
end recreation development.

Reference is made to our letter of May l!j., 1970, which stated our
position on the proposed I-470 route. We suggested an elternate route
for crossing the Bear Creek Reservoir following the crest of the Mount
Carbon Dam. However, if the highway must follow the proposed route,
several measures were recommended to alleviate its adverse effects:

1. There should be an interchange or interchanges providing
public access to the Soda lakes and to Mount Glennon.

2. The low ridge separating Little Soda Lake from lake Soda
should be built up high enough to screen Soda Lake and
most of the Bear Creek Reservoir from the highway.

3. Establishment of dense standa of coniferous trees
parallel and adjacent to the right-of-way would provide
additionallCreening for both sight and sound.

Also, we recommend the project boundaries be surveyed, monumented, and
fenced to prevent encroachment of private interests onto public lands.