WSP06826

• File Number: 8441.600.20
• Description: Pleasant Valley Pipeline
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 11/1/2000
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Pleasant Valley Pipeline Draft Environmental Assessment
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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PLEASANT V ALLEY PIPELINE
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

The selection of a Proposed Alternative was based on additional analysis of
quantitative (economic) and qualitative (non-economic) criteria. Quantitative criteria
included pipeline diameter and an equivalent length analysis. There was no substantial
quantitative difference between the three alternatives; thus, the selection of a Proposed
Alternative was based on qualitative criteria. Ten qualitative criteria were used to
evaluate each of the three preliminary alternatives. Qualitative criteria included
biological resources, cultural/historic resources, visual impact, proximity to residences,
easement acquisition, turnout lengths (for connection to project participants), schedule,
permitting, land use impacts, and traffic impacts. The results of this analysis indicated
that the Central pipeline alignment would have the lowest overall impact on the
environment, traveling public, and private residences, while providing the District with a
cost effective and functional pipeline. The Central pipeline alignment was determined to
be the environmentally preferable alternative.

The following discussion includes a description of the Proposed Alternative, the No-
Action Alternative and a brief discussion of the alternatives that were considered but
eliminated.

Proposed Action Alternative - The Central Pipeline Alignment
The District's proposed action is to install 8.5 miles of buried raw water pipeline from
the Munroe Canal to the Fort Collins Water Treatment Facility and Soldier Canyon Filter
Plant, collectively referred to as water treatment plants (WTPs) (Figure I). A turnout to
an existing pipeline would deliver water to Greeley's Bellvue Water Treatment Plant.
The buried gravity pipeline would have a diameter of 67 inches with a maximum working
pressure of 145 psi. The anticipated capacity of the PVPL is 120 million gallons per day.

Pipeline Location and Facilities

A turnout on the Munroe Canal would be constructed to deliver water into the
pipeline. Preliminary design indicates a takeoff structure with a controllable side outlet
and flow-measuring device would be necessary (CH2M Hill 1999). In addition, the
existing Munroe Canal Diversion gate on the Poudre River would need to be motorized to
allow remote control operations by Fort Collins and Soldier Canyon water treatment
plants to match pipeline flows with plant demands.

A forebay pond would be installed adjacent to the Munroe Canal at the top of the
proposed PVPL inlet. The forebay pond is required to provide flow equalization, mitigate
sediment transport into the pipeline, and enhance pipeline and canal flexibility and
reliability. The pond would be about 6 acres in size and hold about 34 million gallons at
capacity.

The proposed pipeline extends south from the forebay outlet across agricultural lands
and the Poudre Valley Canal to State Highway 14. The pipeline would bore under State
Highway 14 and continue south to the open trench crossing of the Poudre River (Figure
I). South of the Poudre River, the pipeline would cross Lewstone Creek and parallel the
Charles Hansen Supply Canal and existing Fort Collins buried pipelines to the County
Road 54E crossing. The pipeline would then continue southeast along the existing Fort
Collins pipeline route and cross County Road 25E and the Lake Canal. Continuing

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