WSP06241

• File Number: 8449.860
• Description: South Platte Projects - Metropolitan Denver Water Study
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 3/1/1988
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Metropolitan Denver Water Supply Environmental Impact Statement - Summary
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

1.19 One significant difference between scenarios is the quantity of

Colorado River water that would be used to supply Metropolitan Denver

needs. Figure 1-13 shows the quantity of water that would be diverted

from the Colorado River basin to the Platte River basin each year for

each scena r1 o.

1.20 Without mitigation, all scenarios except the No Federal Action

scenario would cause significant impacts to all terrestrial and

aquatic resources that were evaluated and to socioeconomic resources.

Scenarios A-I, A-2, C-I, and C-2 would inundate 20.2 miles of Gold

Medal trout stream on the South Platte River. Although the impacts

vary in extent and intensity, significant mitigation would be required

in each case. The No Federal Action scenario would ultimately deplete

the ground water supply, and other projects would be needed to replace

that supply. It could also create inefficient growth patterns, as

development would be affected by the lack of reliable ground water for

development in certain local geographical areas.

1.21 The costs of the scenarios range from $223 per acre-foot for B-1
to $313 per acre-foot for B-2.

PROPOSED PROJECTS

1.22 The DWB has requested Federal permits to construct two projects:
(1) Two Forks Dam on the South Platte Ri ve r , which would be
constructed in either one or two stages and sized to create a
1,100,000 million acre-f oot reservo! r, and (2) extension of the

Williams Fork Gravity Collection System. Roth of these projects and a

reasonable number and range of alternatives were evaluated in

sufficient detail to provide an EIS for the Federal agencies to use to

1-15