Moffat Collection System Project
Environmental Impact Statement (Moffat Project EIS)
Denver Water's proposed raise of Gross Reservoir, west of Boulder, Colorado

Introduction
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, (Corps) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental consequences of the proposed Moffat Collection System Project (Moffat Project), submitted by the Denver Water Department (Denver Water) Denver, Colorado.

To meet their projected future water needs, Denver Water proposes to develop 18,000 acre-feet per year of new, annual firm yield water delivered to the Moffat Treatment Plant and raw water customers upstream of the Moffat Treatment Plant pursuant to Denver Water Board’s commitment to its customers.  Denver Water's preferred project to meet this need is to raise Gross Reservoir in Boulder County to store an additional 72,000 acre-feet of water.

In addition to Denver Water's preferred project, the Corps' EIS will evaluate over 300 other options to meet Denver Water's need for water, including several other incremental raises to Gross Reservoir, a new reservoir on Leyden Creek in Jefferson County, additional water stored in local gravel pits and in local underground aquifers, advanced water treatment, and purchase of existing agricultural water rights.

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What is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
An environmental impact statement (EIS) is a full-public-disclosure investigation required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for federal government agency actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." Upon completion of an EIS, a final EIS document in digital format is available to any interested party.

Although the Corps is not proposing, designing, funding or constructing the Moffat Project, the Moffat Project will require a Section 404 Permit, which is a federal permit required under the Clean Water Act administered by the Corps and the EPA.  Because a Section 404 Permit is required, the Corps is the lead federal agency managing the EIS process.

The NEPA process is designed to involve the public in environmental decision-making, gather the best available information regarding the project and disclose pertinent project information and impacts so decision makers can be fully informed when they make their choices.  An EIS describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed agency action, and cites alternative actions.

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Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS
At the beginning of the EIS process, the Corps posts a public Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register.

Notice of Intent Documents
    Request for Proposal for the Corps’ Third-Party Consultant  2-Jun-03
    Federal Register Notice of Intent to Prepare EIS  17-Sep-03
    Federal Register Notice of Intent to Prepare EIS Dates Correction  25-Sep-03
    Corps Notice of Intent Public Notice 15-Sep-03

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Scoping
After posting a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS, the Corps conducts scoping meetings to introduce the project proposal to the public and to other agencies and solicit input on the issues and alternatives to be evaluated.  Scoping and Scoping meetings occurred in late 2003.

Scoping Documents
    Final Scoping Summary Report (22-Dec-03)
    Final Scoping Appendices
    Purpose and Need Document  Denver Water, Apr-2004

Scoping Meetings
    Boulder, CO: Oct 7, 2003
    Denver, CO: Oct 8, 2003
    Silver Creek, CO: Oct 9, 2003

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Draft EIS
A Draft EIS was prepared and released for public comment on October 30, 2009, with comments due to the Corps on March 17, 2010.  Click here to link to the Draft EIS Documents.

Description The Draft EIS, composed of six volumes, analyzes the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the proposal, to provide decision-makers and the public with information pertaining to the Proposed Action and alternatives, and to disclose environmental impacts and identify mitigation measures to reduce impacts.  The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) regulations for NEPA implementation (33 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 230 and 325, Appendices B and C).  The Corps, Omaha District, Regulatory Branch is the lead federal agency responsible for the Draft EIS and information contained in it will serve as the basis for a decision regarding issuance of a Section 404 permit.  It also provides information for federal, state, and local agencies having jurisdictional responsibility for affected resources.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission participated as cooperating agencies, and Grand County participated as a consulting agency in the formulation of the Draft EIS.

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Public Notices
    DEIS release (Issued Oct 30, 2009)  Text   Figures
    Additional DEIS Public Hearing in Summit County Dec 8, 2009 ***Cancelled...weather***
    DEIS Public Comment 32-day extension to March 1, 2010 (Issued Dec 11, 2009)
    Additional DEIS Public Hearing in Breckenridge, CO Jan 7, 2010
    DEIS Public Comment 16-day extension to March 17, 2010 (Issued Feb 5, 2010)

Public Comments on the Draft EIS The Draft EIS comment period, originally from October 30, 2009 to January 28, 2010, was extended to March 17, 2010.  Interested individuals and groups submitted approximately 1,800 submittals, containing 7,000 to 10,000 separate comments.

Hardcopies of the Draft EIS are available for review at the following locations:
    Grand County
        Fraser Valley Library, 421 Norgren Road, Fraser, CO 80442
        Granby Library, 55 Zero St., Granby, CO 80446
        Kremmling Library, 300 S. 8th Street, Kremmling, CO  80459-1240
    Adams County
        Thornton Branch Library, 8992 Washington Street, Thornton, CO 80229
    Denver County
        Central Library, 10 W. Fourteenth Ave. Pkwy., Denver, CO 80204
    Boulder County
        Main Library, 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302
    Jefferson County
        Arvada Library, 7525 W. 57th Ave., Arvada, CO 80002
        Golden Library, 1019 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401
    Summit County
        Summit County Library South Branch, 504 Airport Road, Breckenridge, CO 80424
        Summit County Library North Branch, 651 Center Circle, Silverthorne, CO 80498
    US Army Corps of Engineers
    Denver Regulatory Office, 9307 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128
Denver Water
    Main Office, 1600 W. 12^th Ave., Denver, CO 80204

Public Hearings Oral and/or written comments were collected at public hearings held at the following times and locations:
    Tues, Dec 1, 2009, 6pm, Boulder Country Club, 7350 Clubhouse Rd, Boulder, CO
    Wed, Dec 2, 2009, 6pm, Inn at SilverCreek, 62927 US Highway 40, Granby, CO
    Thurs, Dec 3, 2009, 6pm, Doubletree Hotel, 3203 Quebec St, Denver, CO
    Tues, Dec 8, 2009, 6pm, Keystone Conference Center, CO ***Cancelled...weather***
    Thurs, Jan. 7, 2010, 6pm, Beaver Run Conference Center, 620 Village Road
            Breckenridge, CO 80424

Open Houses An open house was held at each public hearing location from 4-6pm, which allowed interested individuals or groups an opportunity to review information associated with the Draft EIS as well as ask questions of resource specialists concerning the document.

DEIS comments and Public Hearing Transcripts Click here to view DEIS comments.

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Final EIS
    The Final EIS is scheduled to be released in 2013.

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Contact Information for the Moffat Project:

Corps:
    Scott Franklin, Moffat EIS Project Mgr
    US Army Corps of Engineers
    9307 South Wadsworth Blvd, Littleton, CO 80128
    E-mail: moffat.eis@usace.army.mil    Fax: 303-979-0602

    Monique Farmer, Corps Omaha District Public Affairs
    402-995-2417 or Toll Free 1-888-835-5971

Denver Water:
    Project Website or E-mail publicinformation@denverwater.org

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