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What is the Homestake Project? Phase I Diversion Site The Homestake Project is a trans- mountain water diver- sion project which transports water from the Western Slope of Colorado across the Continental Divide to the Cities of Colorodo Springs and Aurora. Located in the Homestake Valley near leadville, Colo- rado, the Homestake Project begins at the headwaters of the Eagle River. Evolution of Homestake Nearly three decades ago officials in the Cities of Colorado . Springs. and Aurora realized that future growth would require additional water. They also recognized the importance of water rights to insure that it could be supplied. Given the opportunity to obtain such water rights early in the 19505, Colorado Springs and Aurora created a unique partnership and began 10 collect water during the spnng runoff in the mountains, store it in reservoirs, and bring it across the mountains for use during the year. In 1961, the Colorado Supreme Court awarded the CitIes conditional water rights for the Homestake Project. By the spring of 1967, Phase I of the project was complete. The first phase div~rts water from Homestake Creek tributaries through "the Missouri Tunnel into Homestake Reservoir. From the reservoir, water is transported through the Homestake Tunnel to Turquoise Lake. From there, water travels via pipeline to Twin Lakes Reservoir, and then on to the Otero Pumping Station where it is pumped over Trout Creek Pass. Water then moves east through a pipeline to Spinney Mountain Reservoir, where Aurora takes its share of the water. The Colorado Springs portion of the water continues eastward and is stored in Rampart Reservoir northwest of the City. Colorado Springs and Aurora share equally the 28,000 acre.feet of water provided annually by the first phase of the Homestake Project. Yielding enough water yearly for an average of 150,000 people, this supply helped. to meet the needs of the 1970s. Future water needs were anticipated in the planning. Facilities in the first phase of the project were constructed to accommodate the total water flow expected as additional phases of the project are added and all existing water rights are fully developed. The second phase of the project is located in the White River National Forest. Diversion sites are located on Cross Creek, West Cross Creek, East Cross Creek, and Fall Creek. The second phase will divert water from these creeks and carry it through a new tunnel system to the Homestake Reservoir where it will enter the existing Homestake system. This phase of the project is expected to provide over 22,000 acre.feet of water each year to Colorad.o Springs and Aurora. Since completion of the first phase of the projeCt, changes have occurred which affect future development. One such change was _the .designation_of _the _Holy -Cross -Wilderness -Area -by-the -U.S. Congress. As part of the 1980 Wilderness Act. 126,000 acres of land around the Mount of the Holy Cross were designated as wilderness. The four water diversion sites for the second phase of the Home- stake Project all fall within the wilderness area. Even though a Congressional Act creating the wilderness specifically exempted the project, opposition arose. The Act states that: no right or claim of right, to the diversion and use of existing conditional water rights for the Cities of Colorado Springs and Aurora shall be prejudiced, expanded, diminished, altered or affected by this Act. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to expand, abate, impair, impede, or interfere with the construction, maintenance, or repair of said project, nor the oper- ation thereof, or any exchange or modification of the same agreed to by the Cities and the United States acting through any appropriate agency thereof. In October, 1984, the Cities were granted a permit by the US. Army Corps of Engineers, the last of the federal permits required to begin construction of the next phase of the project. Completion of Phase II is anticipated in the early 1990s. The Cities hold ad- ditional undeveloped water rights in the area. These VJiIl be de- veloped as future growth dictates the need. . Wetland Below Homestake Dam Urgency of the Project The long-planned Homestake Project plays a major role in providing continued and increasing water supplies to Colorado Springs and Aurora. From the outset, the Cities have planned to make use of Homestake water rights in stages, as the need for more water became apparent. Already, large investments have been made in the development of these water rights. The Otero Pump Station was built to accommodate the total flows of water antici. pated from phased expansion of the Horirestake Project. Oversized pipelines were installed for the same reason. With increasing demands for water, the Cities continue to search for new supplies. It is projected that additional water will be needed by 1994 at the latest. Continuation of the Homestake Project promises adequate water supplies into the next century. Suggested Alternatives As a result of opposition to the second phase of the Homestake Project, a number of possible alternatives were considered. During the initial permitting stages, the Cities presented a preferred development plan and 17 others for analysis. Based upon these, and options presented by others, the U.S. Forest Service evaluated six alternatives in depth in its "Final Environmental Impact Statement. " The Forest Service considered: 1) no action; 2) continuation of the .original.Homestake -plan;-3). other -surface.conduit -systems;-4)