Alternatives Selected for Detailed Evaluation
As required by NEPA, a full range of reasonable alternatives will be evaluated in the EIS.
The inclusion of a No Action Alternative is required by NEPA and is the basis against which all other alternatives are compared.
The environmental and technical evaluations performed as part of the Draft EIS (DEIS) indicate that all six of the Action Alternatives (Alternatives 2 through 7) are reasonable. Reclamation compared all of the alternatives in terms of how well they addressed the ten public scoping issues and other relevant environmental and non-environmental issues identified by Reclamation during the DEIS process, including energy use and estimated costs.
Based upon these considerations, Reclamation has initially identified the Participants’ Proposed Action (Alternative 2) as the Agency Preferred Alternative. The following links show the alternatives
selected for detailed evaluation in the EIS.
Reclamation's Alternatives Analysis Report describes the alternatives process. Comments on preliminary alternatives and the alternatives process were submitted to Reclamation in Fall 2005 and are documented in Reclamation's summary report.
An addendum to the Alternatives Analysis Report was prepared to discuss changes to the No Action Alternative and to Alternative 7 (Highway 115 Alternative) requested by Colorado Springs in January 2007. The addendum will also evaluates an alternative that includes indirect potable reuse of water for Colorado Springs as requested by Reclamation.
1: No Action Alternative (revised February 2007)
The No Action Alternative represents the most likely future in the absence of a Reclamation action, such as a storage contract.
Colorado Springs requested revisions to its portion of the No Action Alternative in January, 2007.
Reclamation responded to the request in February 2007.
2: Participants’ Proposed
Action
The Participants’ Proposed Action Alternative represents the SDS project as proposed by the Participants.
3: Wetland Alternative
The Wetland Alternative is designed to minimize permanent effects on wetlands
and to have the least surface disturbance.
4: Arkansas River Alternative
The Arkansas River Alternative is designed to minimize water quality effects
on the Lower Arkansas River and to make available the highest minimum
flows on the Arkansas River through Pueblo.
5: Fountain Creek Alternative
The Fountain Creek Alternative is designed to minimize erosion, sedimentation
and water quality effects on Fountain Creek.
6: Downstream Intake Alternative
The Downstream Intake Alternative was suggested by the public and would withdraw water from the Arkansas River downstream of Fountain Creek.
7: Highway 115 Alternative (revised February 2007)
Project Participants would withdraw water from the Arkansas River near Florence. Colorado Springs requested revisions to its portion of the Highway 115 Alternative
in January, 2007. Reclamation responded to the request in February 2007.