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<br />FACT SHEET <br /> <br />THE EAGLE-PINEY PROJECT NEAR VAIL <br />AND RELATED ISSUES <br /> <br />In March of 1981, the Denver Water Board announced their <br />intention to seek authorization from President Reagan or the U.S. <br />Congress to construct water projects in the Eagles Nest Wilderness <br />Area to the north of Vail. Denver's planned projects (Eagle-Piney <br />and the East Gore Canal) would divert large quantities of water <br />from the headwaters of Gore Creek and its tributaries, headwaters <br />of the Eagle River, headwaters of the Piney River, and tributaries <br />of the Blue River on the east side of the Gore Range. These pro- <br />posed water projects are key components of a much larger plan to <br />take extensive amounts of water from the Blue, Eagle, Fraser, Piney <br />and Williams Fork River Basins to the East Slope to provide for <br />population growth along the front range. <br /> <br />Denver's water development plans pose a very serious <br />threat to western Colorado water users, the environment, the economy <br />and the quality of life on both sides of the Continental Divide. <br />Now is the time for citizens of Colorado to join together to push <br />for full disclosure of Denver's plans, the economic, environmental <br />and social repercussions of those plans and thorough investigation <br />of less damaging alternatives. <br /> <br />Related Facts <br /> <br />Western slope diversions planned by Denver, Aurora and <br />Colorado Springs include the Eagle-Piney, East Gore Canal, Eagle- <br />Colorado, Homestake, Straight Creek, and Williams Fork projects. <br />Their plans would involve construction of more than 50 additional <br />dams or diversion structures on West Slope streams at altitudes <br />above 9,000 feet. In addition, Denver plans to substantially in- <br />crease its current diversion of waters from the Blue and Fraser <br />Rivers. If these projects were constructed as currently planned, <br />then West Slope streams would ultimately be depleted as follows: <br /> <br /> Estimated Proposed <br />River Basin Virgin Flow Diversion % Depletion <br /> (Acre Feet/Yr.) (Acre Feet/Yr.) of Virgin Flow <br />Blue River 392,000 200,000 51.0 <br />*Eagle River 460,000 180,000 39.1 <br />Gore Creek 93,000 42,000 45.1 <br />Fraser River 145,000 100,000 69.0 <br />williams Fork 104,000 40,000 38.5 <br /> <br />* including Gore Creek <br /> <br />1001 <br />