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N c-:- - - VII. RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATION o Eagle-Piney fEagle-Colorado Operational Configuration The versatility of the Eagle-PineyfEagle-Colorado operational configuration to deliver the water resources in the Eagle and Piney River basins efficiently is illustrated on Plate 7. This configuration could incorporate the more productive streams on the Gore Creek and upper Eagle River tributaries by gravity diversion, and the available water in the lower Eagle River, Colorado River and the less productive streams on the upper reaches of the Eagle and Piney basins by pump diversions near Wolcott and State Bridge. This configuration could also deliver water in a timely manner to meet the increasing needs of the Denver Metropolitan Area. Construction and capital expenditures can be planned and closely controlled to ensure the greatest economic value of the investments, to keep pace with the demand for water, and to utilize revenue generated from the sale of water developed in earlier phases of this program. The staging of construction and the amount of water produced are described in the fOllowing subsection. A simulation model of the Eagle-Piney fEagle-Colorado configuration was operated to determine the hydraulic capacities and operating procedures of this system. In general, the configuration would operate in the following manner. Diversion structures on the Gore Creek, Piney River, and upper Eagle River tributaries would divert available water to the conveyance tunnels for direct delivery to Dillon Reservoir. The amount of water diverted could be controlled at each diversion structure, and would equal the stream flow minus the senior downstream demands and the necessary fish bypass flows. Flows diverted in the Piney River basin could be stored in Piney Reservoir for direct or later release to Dillon Reservoir. Available flows in the Lower Eagle River would be diverted near Wolcott and those in the Colorado River, near State Bridge. These flows would be pumped into the Eagle-Colorado storage reservoir located on Alkali Creek near Wolcott and stored until the demand for water required pumping from this reservoir to Dillon Reservoir. Since water from this facility would be stored until called for by Dillon Reservoir, the Eagle- Colorado Reservoir could provide an attractive recreational and fishery opportunity. Plan of Action The recommended Eagle-PineyfEagle-Colorado operational configuration would integrate both the Board's 1956 and 1971 appropriations. The staging of construction would depend to a great extent on future construction and power costs, legal rulings and environmental factors. These factors should be evaluated during the continued planning and design to reflect changing needs and conditions. The timetable to implement the project should be based on sufficient lead time to properly design as well as construct this project by the date when the additional water will be required. A suggested schedule for construction of the recommended configuration is shown on Plate 8. This schedule considers staging of the construction to accomplish the integration of the more productive streams at an early date. It also enables preparing separate construction contract packages within the ability of potential contractors to execute the work effectively and economically. The construction of the Eagle-Piney fEagle-Colorado configuration could be implemented in four stages. Stage I would achieve early delivery of water from the more prOductive streams of 12