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After its own extensive review of the Southern Delivery System, the Bureau of Reclamation included seven alternatives in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) it published on February 29, 2008.

Five of the alternatives, including our preferred alternative, go through Pueblo County. The other two, including the so-called No Action Alternative, go through Fremont County. Fountain and Security are partners with Colorado Springs for all six Action Alternatives. Pueblo West will participate only if we gain approval for a pipeline beginning at Pueblo Dam. The No Action Alternative assumes each community will act on its own.

The project partners need approval from the Bureau of Reclamation to move forward with any of the alternatives except the No Action Alternative because that’s the only one that doesn’t use any water managed through facilities controlled by the Bureau.

Our first choice for SDS is a pipeline from Pueblo Dam because it’s the shortest, most economical of the hundreds of possible combinations we’ve considered. Our second choice, if that route becomes unavailable to us, is what is listed as Alternative 7, or Highway 115 Alternative, in the EIS being drafted by the Bureau. This alternative also allows us to use our existing Arkansas River water rights.