WSP05984

• File Number: 8149.911
• Description: Miscellaneous Small Projects and Project Studies - SE Needs Assessment and PSOP
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 4/19/2001
• Author: PSOP Implementation
• Title: Final PSOP Implementation Committee Report Addendum to Preferred Storage Options Plans Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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10 i 7 Final PSOP Implementation Committee Report
Southeastern Colorado Water Activity Enterprise
April 19. 2001

finaneial credit when their Winter Water is spilled from storage in Pueblo Reservoir. This
credit can be used to buy Project Water or Winter Water storage in future years. The Spill
Credit Program is needed to offset impacts resulting from the projected increased frequency
in the spill of Winter Water at Pueblo Reservoir, which is due to re-operations contracting.
The Spill Credit Program will be funded by a surcharge on re-operations contracts.

Commitment to the Future Arkansas Vallev Conduit-The Fry-Ark Project authorization
included the development of a water delivery pipeline originating from Pueblo Reservoir
serving towns throughout the Arkansas Valley all the way to Lamar, The existing outlet
works at Pueblo Dam now includes capacity for a future Arkansas Valley Pipeline, but the
capacity of the outlet works is limited. Because Colorado Springs' future plans include an
additional pipeline from Pueblo Reservoir delivering water from enlarged storage capacity,
the PSOP commits participants to preserving capacity in the outlet works for the Arkansas
Valley Pipeline.

Long-Term Water Qualitv Monitoring - Water users in the Arkansas Valley expressed
concerns over the potential impacts of additional storage under re-operations contracts and/or
in enlarged capacity. The PSOP commits participants to a long-term water-quality-
monitoring program designed to establish a water quality baseline so that changes can be
determined and responded to accordingly.

Pueblo Dam Flow Management Program - The City of Pueblo is working with state and
federal ageneies to establish enhanced fishery and recreational opportunities on the Arkansas
River below Pueblo Dam to the confluence of Fountain Creek. The City of Pueblo and
interest groups were concerned that the storage plans may reduce flow in the Arkansas below
Pueblo Dam, thereby impacting their plans. The PSOP commits participants to a voluntary
flow management program that would operate Pueblo Reservoir in such a manner as to
maintain a minimum target flow of 100 cfs below Pueblo Dam.

Evaluation of the Storage Alternatives-The PSOP also details findings from a series of
reports that evaluated the proposed alternatives (Project re-operations contracts and reservoir
enlargements), These reports, which were requested by the Storage Study Committee as a
part of the development of the PSOP, ineluded: I) an operations model to determine the
ability of the plan to meet projected demands and assess potential impacts to current
operations; 2) assessment of potential streamflow and water quality impacts; 3)
determination of environmental issues; 4) evaluation of cultural resources; 5) identification
of socio-economic issues; 6) investigation of permitting and regulatory issues; and, 7)
determination of total project costs including construction and mitigation (wetlands and
recreation facilities) costs. These reports were useful in the development of the final PSQP.

Funding the PSOP-The PSQP requires partieipants to pay for the costs of developing their
own storage space, including mitigation of potential impacts to wetlands, recreation or other
facilities, as well as the implementation costs associated with securing authority for re-
operations eon tracts and the proposed enlargement projects,

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9'l()61 FinJ.IPSOPR~n