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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I PLEASANT V ALLEY PIPELINE ENVlRONMENT AL ASSESSMENT Conservancy District has been authorized by the U.S. Congress. [fthe ownership of these facilities is transferred before execution of the contract and permit described above, the contract and permit described above will no longer be a part of the federal action. The federal action related to the PVPL may then be the Clean Water Act, Section 404 permit required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Issues A legal notice announcing the planned preparation of an EA and a request for input on the proposed Pleasant Valley Pipeline was published in the Loveland Daily Reporter- Herald, Coloradoan Newspaper (Fort Collins), and the Greeley Daily Tribune in August 1999. A public open house was held on September 2, 1999 in LaPorte to provide information on the proposed project and solicit comments from the public. Several questions about the proposed pipeline were expressed during scoping. These questions included: , How would the pipeline affect streamflow and aquatic life in the Cache la Poudre River? Will there be an increase in diversions into the Munroe Canal and how will this change affect historical flows and the timing of flows in the canal? [s there potential for locating a trail on the pipeline alignnlent? , " The response to these issues and other potential effects of the proposed project are included in this Environmental Assessment. ALTERNATIVES Alternative Selection Process An intensive investigation ofalternatiye routes was conducted to determine the best alignment for the proposed pipeline (CH2M Hill 1999). The route screening process initially developed a constraints map to identify potential resource issues, environmental factors, and technical factors that would influence the location of the pipeline. Constraints considered included wetlands, wildlife habitat, shallow rock and ground water, river crossings, tunneling, borings, major utility crossings, land use, conservation sites, and potential gravel deposits. The initial route selection identified 40 segments with potential for use as a pipeline corridor. These segments were identified by examining existing corridors including roads, pipelines, railroads, canals, and boundaries of major land parcels. These segments were then screened based on identified constraints. An equivalent length analysis was conducted to compare the relative construction costs for each of the segments. In addition, the screening and evaluation process included a consideration of potential disruption to property owners and the effect on public transportation during construction. The result of this analysis was used to combine segments into three potential alternative alignrnents--the Eastern, Central and Western pipeline alignments. 5 .