The FEIS for the SDS Project documents an analysis of the potential environmental consequences of contracts requested by the Participants:
Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, and Pueblo West. Environmental consequences are described forthe FEIS study area, which encompasses
portions of the Arkansas River, and Upper Colorado River basins in Colorado. The document also identifies a preferred alternative (Participants' Proposed Action).
This report is available to view or download. Reclamation will document the decision regarding whether to issue contracts
to the Participants in a Record of Decision issued no sooner than 30 days after the FEIS has been filed with the EPA.
Supplemental Information Report and Public Comments
Reclamation released a Supplemental Information Report for the Southern Delivery System Draft Environmental Impact Statement on October 3, 2008.
The Supplemental Information Report provides information on the following topics: water quality, potential effects on the western slope of Colorado,
potential effects of a failure of new dams, effects of physical changes to the alternatives and reasonably foreseeable actions, clarification of Reclamation’s purpose and need statement,
changes in the project participants’ Proposed Action, and identification of Reclamation’s preferred alternative. Substantial changes to these effects since completion of the DEIS are
described in the report.
This report was open to public comment through November 24, 2008. PDF files of the public comments are posted for review.
Proposed Project
The
Southern Delivery System (SDS) Project is a proposed regional water delivery
project
designed to serve most or all of the Participants’ (City of Colorado
Springs, City of Fountain, Security Water District and Pueblo West Metropolitan
District) future water needs through 2046. As proposed, SDS would deliver
Frying Pan-Arkansas (Fry-Ark) Project water and non-Fry-Ark
Project water from the Arkansas River near the City of Pueblo to the Participants’ service
areas.
The proposed SDS Project area would extend northward from the Arkansas
River from a pipeline at Pueblo Reservoir to the City of Colorado Springs.
As proposed, SDS would include construction and operation of the following components:
- Use of 42,000 ac-ft of existing excess storage capacity in Pueblo Reservoir if and when space is available
- Use of existing Reclamation pipeline and outlet structures below Pueblo Dam to connect to an untreated water pipeline
- Installation of 2,200 feet of 78-inch diameter pipeline capable of conveying 96 million gallons per day (mgd) and 1,100 feet of 72-inch diameter pipeline capable of
conveying 78 mgd of untreated water
- Installation of a 160-foot long, 36-inch diameter pipeline capable of conveying 18 mgd of untreated water to the existing Pueblo West Pump Station
- Installation of a 49-mile long, 66-inch diameter pipeline and three pump stations capable of conveying 78 mgd of untreated water
- Construction of a 30,500-ac-ft local terminal storage reservoir to store untreated water
- Relocation of an electric transmission line and a liquid petroleum pipeline at the local terminal storage reservoir site
- Construction of a water treatment plant, with capacity to treat up to 109 mgd of water, to provide potable water for municipal and industrial use
- Installation of transmission pipelines to convey treated water from the water treatment plant to local water distribution systems
- Construction of a 28,500-ac-ft return flow storage reservoir and an associated conveyance system to store Colorado Springs’ reusable return flows
- Installation of a 4-mile long, 84-inch diameter buried pipeline capable of conveying 194 mgd of return flows west from Williams Creek Reservoir to Fountain Creek
Purpose and Need
The basic project
purpose is to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable water supply for
the Participants through the foreseeable future.
The Participants have
three needs that SDS would fulfill:
- To use developed
and undeveloped water supplies to meet most or all projected future
demands through 2046
- To develop additional water storage, delivery, and treatment
capacity
to provide system redundancy
- To perfect and deliver the Participants’ existing
Arkansas River Basin water rights
Role of the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
Pueblo Reservoir and associated facilities are owned by
the United States and operated by Reclamation. The use of these facilities
by other entities
for water storage or conveyance requires contracts with Reclamation. Execution
of long-term contracts for the use of Reclamation facilities is the major
Federal action analyzed in this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Reclamation
is the lead agency for the Federal action and is responsible
for environmental evaluation and
preparation of an EIS and a Record of Decision. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service are cooperating agencies.
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