From the Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
n the past month, there have been several changes in the evaluation of [the] conduit under the National Environmental Policy Act by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Project Manager Phil Reynolds told the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Board on Thursday.
The connection at Pueblo Dam could tie together the existing South Outlet Works with a new North Outlet Works that is part of the proposed Southern Delivery System, Reynolds said. The south connection already is used by the Pueblo Board of Water Works, Pueblo West and the Fountain Valley Authority. Colorado Springs, primary sponsor of SDS, had discussions with Reclamation during contract hearings about the north connection, which it plans to build at the river outlet on the north side of Pueblo Dam. Colorado Springs asked for credit in building the connection, as well as for future excess capacity revenues. In a compromise, Reclamation reduced the price of storage and conveyance in exchange for federal control of the North Outlet Works. One of the selling points of the north connection was always that it would provide redundancy for other systems now using the South Outlet Works. It could provide protection if one outlet were unavailable because of the need for repairs or infestation of invasive species, such as zebra or quagga mussels…
Reclamation also is looking at water quality in the conduit. The plan by the Southeastern district called for raw, filtered water, but higher levels of treatment also will be studied, Reynolds said…
In meetings with conduit participants, the Southeastern district has determined that more than 10,000 acre-feet of additional storage is needed. The storage is for water outside the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project — imported water from the Western Slope stored to supplement native supplies.