RIVERA SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR SDS

Mayor Lionel Rivera is encouraging Colorado Springs residents and businesses to submit letters to the Bureau of Reclamation supporting the Southern Delivery System (SDS).

The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the project and fewer than 30 days remain to submit comments to the Bureau. To be considered, comments must be received by the Bureau by April 29.

The Draft EIS examines seven potential alternatives for the project. The one proposed by the four participating communities – Colorado Springs, Pueblo West, Fountain and Security – envisions a 43-mile pipeline from Pueblo Dam to Colorado Springs.

The proposed action is the least expensive alternative identified among hundreds of options from Leadville to Lamar.

“We need the Southern Delivery System,” Rivera said. “Our future depends on it. We can’t maintain our healthy economy or quality of life without it. And it’s a cost-effective, dependable, environmentally responsible way to obtain the water we need.”

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is “to manage, develop and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American people.”

Rivera said addressing the need for the project, the fact that it’s environmentally responsible and that it’s cost effective are most likely to have the biggest impact because those are the issues related to the Bureau’s mission.

Comments can be mailed to Kara Lamb, Bureau of Reclamation, Eastern Colorado Area Office, 11056 W. County Line Road 18E, Loveland, CO 80537-9711; emailed to klamb@gp.usbr.gov or faxed to Lamb’s attention at 970-663-3212.

The Bureau is sponsoring a series of open house meetings in communities along the Arkansas Valley during the first two weeks in April. All the meetings will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Locations are as follows:

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 – Buena Vista Community, Center, 715 E. Main Street, Buena Vista

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 – Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Avenue, Pueblo

Thursday, April 3, 2008 – Koshare Indian Museum, 115 W. 18th Street, La Junta

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 – Fountain-Ft. Carson High School, 900 Jimmy Camp Road, Fountain

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 – Leon Young Service Center, 1521 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs

Thursday, April 10, 2008 – Quality Inn, 3075 E. US 50, Cañon City

People attending the open houses will be able to submit comments orally or on forms provided at the meetings.

For more information on SDS go to www.csu.org and click on the Southern Delivery System link. To read or comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement go to www.sdseis.com.