Eagle River

The Eagle River Region is located in Eagle County and encompasses the Eagle River watershed which includes the Eagle River, Gore Creek, Homestake Creek, Brush Creek and Gypsum Creek, (to name a few of the main tributaries). Like many headwater regions, residents and communities in this region place a high priority on the economic, recreational, and natural values associated with the its streams and rivers. Healthy, functioning streams best support these common values. Continuing the work to support and promote the environmental and recreational needs will best maintain healthy, functioning streams (ERWC, 2014). The economy of this region, , is very much dependent upon tourism and recreation industries. Eagle County is home to the Vail, Beaver Creek and Arrowhead Ski Areas. Healthy environments within the watershed are vital for maintaining this recreation based economy. Development focus has shifted from the upper valley resorts to lower valley towns. Eight hundred homes in the proposed Haymeadow area of Eagle, 700,000 square feet of retail and 550 homes in the proposed Eagle River Station, and almost 600 new residential units at Village of Wolcott offer challenges for water providers in managing water resources and providing for healthy stream communities (ERWC, 2014).

The proposed Wolcott Reservoir, a contested project among Basin regions, could allow Existing TMDs to increase diversions out of Grand and Summit Counties by providing augmentation releases to satisfy the Shoshone and Cameo calls. Eagle River Water and Sanitation District (ERWSD) and Upper Eagle River Water Authority (UERWA) are in favor of the reservoir but implementation plans by Denver Water for the reservoir has yet to be seen and opposition by other Colorado regions needs to be overcome.

The Columbine, Ewing & Wurtz Ditches and the Homestake Tunnel divert water out of the Eagle River watershed to the Arkansas River Basin. The ERWSD has and continues to collaborate with water providers on the Front Range as participants in the Eagle River Memorandum of Understanding (ERMOU) and the CRCA agreements. The objective of the ERMOU was to develop a joint use water project that meets the water requirements of the participants, minimizes the environmental impact, is technically feasible, and cost effective. The ERMOU was first established in 1998 to develop 30,000 AF of storage in the upper Eagle River that would be shared; 20,000 AF for Colorado Springs and Aurora, 10,000 AF for the Vail Consortium which includes ERWSD, URWA and the Vail Associates.

ERWSD is the second largest water provider in the Colorado Basin and in Western Colorado. The ERWSD operates the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority through contract and has since the Authority was created in 1984. The service area extends from east Vail to Wolcott and includes Vail, Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, Arrowhead, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Cordillera, and many other outlying developed areas. The ERWSD and UERWA serve approximately 60,000 people during the peak season and have the most complex water system in Colorado consisting of: 3 water plants, 17 wells, 73 pressure zones, and 270 miles of water mains with over 3,000 feet of elevation change. The ERWSD uses the Eagle River, Gore Creek, and their aquifers as direct supplies supported by minimal storage in Black Lakes, Eagle Park Reservoir and Homestake Reservoir. The ERWSD is a good example of the positive benefits of consolidation of multiple water systems into one regional system. The consolidated management of the ERWSD has allowed for cooperation and strong coalitions with municipalities and the ski industry through Vail Resorts and Eagle County. This cooperation has resulted in a well-managed efficient umbrella agency that could serve as a model for many other competing water systems throughout the Colorado Basin that not only supplies drinking water but provides environmental flows.

Several municipal governments including the Town of Vail, Town of Avon, and Town of Eagle continue to initiate proactive programs to address the existing water quality impairment issues, allocating significant financial resources and personnel time on research, stormwater improvements, land planning, and community outreach. Eagle County government supports progressive land use codes and continues to invest heavily in recreational access and stream-related amenities that support the recreation-based economy. In Gypsum’s planning documents, the Town’s goals include continuously providing adequate high quality water for service to its citizens for potable and business needs. Other Town goals include ensuring that minimum instream flows are met, and local river habitat is protected and improved. As part of all development approvals, the Town requires new developments to dedicate water to the Town to cover new uses (Kropf, 2014). The Town of Eagle’s water planning efforts are an excellent example of collaboration and long range planning. With the construction of the Lower Basin Water Treatment Plant, the Town of Eagle will have redundant supply and treatment from three different sources, Upper Brush Creek, Lower Brush Creek and the Eagle River. The Town of Eagle has strategically planned water management in Brush Creek by cooperating with new developments and agricultural communities.

Examples of other efforts to support the environmental and recreational needs within this region include the Gore Creek Water Quality Improvement Plan, the Camp Hale-Eagle River Headwaters Collaborative Restoration Implementation Plan and the NWCCOG 208 WQ Management Plans. Additionally the Eagle River Watershed Plan outlines several needs and projects that will restore and maintain healthy rivers, streams and ecosystems in the Eagle River Region. The Eagle River Watershed Plan, updated in 2013, provides consensus-based, stakeholder developed guidance for the entire Eagle River Basin. The purpose of this plan is to ensure water related values are protected and enhanced not only in the face of out-of-basin pressures, but especially in relation to in-basin growth (ERWC, 2014). Overall, the water providers and community within the Eagle River Region support storage on the Eagle River for Eagle River users and purposes, more likely on a smaller scale. Local control for land use planning and water use is an important water management tool for most municipalities and water providers.

(The above information was extracted from the Colorado Basin Implementation Plan and edited slightly to fit)