Chatfield Lake, Jefferson and Douglas Counties, Nebraska
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STATEMENT OF FINDINGS CHATFIELD LAKE, COLORADO 1. I have reviewed and evaluated, in light of the overall public interest, the relative information concerning the actions remaining on the authorized project, as veil as the stated views of other interested agencies and the concerned public relative to these remaining actions and their effect along the South Platte River including the Denver metropolitan area. My review also considered all of the impacts discussed in the Final Environmental State ment, some of which are specifically referenced in succeeding paragraphs. A supplemental environmental statement will be pre pared for the downstream channel portion of the project extending from Chatfield Lake to Denver when a plan of flood protection is recommended for that reach of the South Platte River. At the time of submission of the final supplemental environmental state ment, a supplemental Statement of Findings will also be prepared. 2. The possible consequences of the various alternatives have been studied according to environmental, social well-being, and economic effects, including regional and national development and engineering feasibility. The various elements considered include those identified in Section 122 of Public Law 91-611 and the Conference Report on H.R. 9270, 92d Congress. 3. In evaluating the alternatives, the following points were con sidered pertinent: a. Authorization and current project status. (1) The Flood Control Act of 1950 authorized construction of Chatfield Dam and Lake and channel improvements along portions of the South Platte River from the dam downstream to Fort Morgan. The Chatfield portion of the project was funded for construction following the flood of record which occurred in June 1965. (2) Chatfield Dam is located on the South Platte River immediately downstream from the Plum Creek confluence in Jefferson and Douglas Counties, Colorado. It is a rolled earthfill structure which has a crest length of 13,057 feet at elevation 5527.0 feet above mean sea level. The multipurpose pool of the lake will have a normal surface area of 1,150 acres at elevation 5**26 feet above mean sea level. (3) Project construction is nearing completion; the embankment is scheduled for completion by July 1975. Interior roads, utilities, and recreation facilities are under construction and are scheduled to be completed during 1977. (U) I find that completion of the project as presently- authorized will reduce flooding in, and provide recreation for, the Denver metropolitan area. Benefit-cost studies show that benefits to be derived from completion of the authorized project will exceed the cost of the project (Final Environmental State ment , page 9) • (5) I recognize, as described in the Final Environmental Statement, page 53, that completion of the project will cause inundation of 13 miles of stream with conseauent fish and wildlife habitat losses. I also recognize that completion of the project will cause evaporation of approximately 2,500 acre-feet of water yearly and, during construction, create minor additional air pollution and consume some fuel. b. Alternatives which are still viable. (1) I considered the alternative of not completing con struction of the project. Since construction of the major project features is essentially complete, this alternative would affect only the completion of access roads, interior roads, recreation facilities, and utilities. I recognize that providing access without providing interior roads and utilities to control use would result in environmental damage. Some disruption of public services would also result from this alternative because some utility relocations are still under construction. Under this alternative, the Corps would not fulfill its obligation to provide recreation, one of the authorized purposes of the project. (2) I considered operation of the completed project as a dry dan. Under this alternative, there would be no loss of flood control, the main project purpose. There would be no initial development of a lake fishery, although this option would remain open for the future. The recreation benefits from this alternative would be only a fraction of the benefits to be realized with the recommended project. Some temporary mudflats could develop fol lowing flooding conditions. (3) I considered operation of the completed project for flood control and water supply only. Under this alternative, most of the recreation benefits of the authorized project would not be realized. This is because most of the planned recreation at the Chatfield Lake project is water oriented. The benefits to be derived from fishing would also be small because of restrictions normally placed upon use of municipal water supply storage. Mud flats could develop because of fluctuating water levels associated with water supply requirements. c. Other alternatives not currently tinder consideration. Because a major portion of the project has been completed, the following alternatives are no longer considered viable. I list them in order to show what alternatives were evaluated early in the planning of this project. (1) I considered alternate damsites both upstream and downstream from the recommended site and various combinations of sites. (2) I also considered downstream channel modifications as a solution to Denver's flood problems. (3) I considered evacuation of the flood plain as an alternative solution to Denver's flood problems. (U) I considered the alternative of flood proofing structures and bridges in the flood plain. U. After weighing the data contained in the Final Environmental Statement, I find that not all adverse effects can be avoided; however, the benefits attributed to the project are much greater than the adverse effects. I find further that the decision to com plete the project as authorized is based on a thorough analysis and evaluation of the.alternative courses of action and is the most feasible and desirable method of achieving the required flood control and the recreation. 5. I recommend that the Corps of Engineers proceed with the neces sary action to complete the Chatfield Lake, Colorado project as authorized. 1 0 FEB 1375 Date JguSsELL A. GLEN~ Colonel, Corps of Engineers District Engineer .1 concur with the_Findings of the^fitaEhlct Engineer. Date PHILIP VT. BOERGER<vj Brigadier General, USA Division Engineer I concur with the preceding statement of findings. DATE j j L W. MORRIS ^ a j o r General, USA Director of Civil Works FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHATFIELD LAKE, COLORADO Prepared t>y U.S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, OMAHA, NEBRASKA January 1975 SUMMARY * CHATFIELD LAKE, COLORADO ( ) Draft (X) Final Environmental Statement Responsible Office: U.S. Army Engineer District, Omaha, Nebraska 1. Name of action. (X) Administrative ( ) Legislative 2. Description of action. A dam and lake is being constructed just downstream from the confluence of the South Platte River and Plum Creek. The dam is a rolled earthfill structure, over 13,000 feet long, and the project purposes are flood control and recreation. The lake will have a permanent multipurpose pool of 1,150 acres; total lands will be 6,919 acres. Recreational opportunities and facilities would be provided at the lake project. 3. a. Environmental impacts. The Chatfield project would pro vide flood control, increase recreational opportunities, maintain open space, lead to changes in water quality, lead to changes in populations of fish and wildlife, change rates and overall amounts of sand and gravel extraction within project boundaries, provide scientific and educational opportunities, disrupt some existing scenic resources, cause a loss of agricultural produc tion, result in a loss of tax base which would probably be temporary, cause a small loss of hunting opportunity, and result in water evaporation losses. b. Adverse environmental^Impacts. Some loss of stream fish habitat and riparian vegetation, loss of agricultural pro duction, loss of hunting opportunity, water evaporation losses, disruption of existing scenic resources, and a temporary loss of tax base would occur. H. Alternatives. The alternatives open for present considera tion are to operate the nearly completed project as a dry dam, operate the project for flood control and water supply, and do not finish construction, either leaving construction in its present stage of completion or removing present construction and attempting to return the area to preproject conditions. During studies prior to authorization of the Chatfield project, many alternative solutions to alleviate flood problems on the South Platte River and Plum Creek were considered. These include alternate damcites both upstream and downstream from the Chatfield site, downstream channel modifications, evacuation of the flood plain downstream from the Chatfield site, and flood proofing of structures and bridges in the flood plain downstream from the Chatfield site. For various reasons none of these latter alternatives are currently viable. 5. Comments received. Denver Regional Council of Governments Colorado Department of Highways Town of Columbine Valley State of Colorado, Division of Wildlife Soil Conservation Service, U.S.D.A. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Dept, of Transportation State of Colorado, Division of Water Resources Colorado Water Conservation Board U.S. Department of the Interior, Missouri Basin Region Department of Housing and Urban Development State of Colorado, Division of Planning Forest Service, U.S.D.A. Department of Planning, City and County of Denver