A proposed pipeline that would stretch from Pueblo to eastern Colorado Springs and end at a proposed reservoir near Jimmy Camp Creek is currently under review with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation.Steve Berry, Colorado Springs Utilities’ senior communications specialist, said the project, called the Southern Delivery System, would be a regional water delivery system that addresses future water demands and serves as a back-up component to existing water delivery sources.”The Southern Delivery System would serve CSU customers in our service territory. We project a lot of growth and demand east of Colorado Springs, and this project would look out between a 2040 and 2046 time frame,” Berry said.Berry said Colorado Springs does not have a direct source of water. The Blue River System, which provides Rocky Mountain snowmelt, and the Homestake pipeline partnership with Aurora, supplies water to Colorado Springs. These two sources of water are aging, though, Berry said.”We need a good-sized third system in place so we don’t impact water service,” he said.It is important to store the water close to town so the water supply is not put into jeopardy, Berry added. The proposed reservoir would be 30,500 acre feet, with 2,000 acres open to flat-water recreation and a park open to the public.An Environmental Impact Study for the SDS began three years ago, said Kara Lamb, Bureau of Reclamation public information specialist. The EIS is part of the National Environmental Policy Act.Lamb said NEPA is a public disclosure law stating that if a project ties into the federal government then the agency must take a lead role to consider the environmental impacts of their proposal and alternatives.NEPA has three tiers, Lamb said. The first is a categorical exclusion checklist, which is completed if a proposal is shown to have no environmental impact.If there is potential for some environmental impact, the second tier is initiated. An environmental assessment report outlines the proposal and several alternatives to the proposal that would basically accomplish the same objective. It is sent to involved federal agencies, and no public assessment is required.The third tier is initiated if the agency finds there is impact on the environment. An EIS is developed. This process can take one to one-and-a-half years, usually more, Lamb said. It is a much more comprehensive study, requiring public comment. Lamb said the public process is important because “it’s a checks-and-balances system.”The third tier is required for the SDS because it is tied into federal water collection for diversion and storage. Archeological impacts also are being evaluated, he said, and archeological findings would be incorporated into a park.She said about seven alternatives are currently being considered, but CSU can opt to disregard the recommendations, called a “no action alternative.” CSU would then develop its own solution.Lamb said Jimmy Camp Creek could potentially be a part of all the proposed alternatives. “NEPA is not an enforcing law. It outlines impacts and alternatives,” she said.Berry said a draft of the EIS would be ready by spring 2007. Several public meetings would follow and a record of decision would be completed by early 2009. He estimates the proposed project would be completed in 2017.”Even if the pipeline is not connected to Pueblo Reservoir, Jimmy Camp Creek would still be an important component,” Berry said.The proposed 43-mile long, 66-inch diameter pipeline would connect at or near Pueblo Reservoir. The Jimmy Camp Creek reservoir would be located near Highway 24 and Garrett Road.Berry said CSU owns 33 percent of the property needed for the reservoir, while Banning Lewis Ranch owns the remainder.John Cassiani, Banning Lewis Ranch Management Company’s vice president of project operations, said negotiations with CSU have just begun, but CSU would like to purchase between 1,400 and 1,500 acres of BLR property.”It is our absolute best land that we have,” he said. “It is the Broadmoor of Banning Lewis Ranch. There are a couple of alternatives, but they would prefer our site.”Cassiani said the reservoir would supply water to Banning Lewis Ranch, as well as serve as an emergency supply for the city of Colorado Springs.
