NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2020 Contact: Greg Baker Manager of Aurora Water Public Relations 303.739.7081 – office 720.278.1299 – cell gbaker@auroragov.org Homestake Partners participate pilot project in Eagle River Reservoir release being made in cooperation with State Engineers Office (Aurora, Colorado) - Beginning Wednesday, September 23, 2020, the Homestake Partners, which is comprised of Aurora Water and Colorado Springs Utilities, will make a one-time release of approximately 1,800 acre feet of water from Homestake Reservoir in Eagle County. The objective of this reservoir release is to determine the effectiveness of current administrative practices in shepherding released water from Homestake Reservoir, located south of Minturn, CO, downstream to the Colorado State Line. This pilot project was developed by the Front Range Water Council and utilizes water contributed by Aurora Water and Colorado Springs Utilities, as well as by the Pueblo Board of Water Works. This water will be released from Homestake Reservoir into Homestake Creek, which is tributary to the Eagle River and the Colorado River. The pilot release protocols were developed cooperatively with the Colorado State Engineer’s Office, with the release expected to provide the State and Division Engineers, as well as water users on the West Slope and East Slope, with valuable information related to compliance with the Colorado River Compact and the Upper Colorado River Compact. The project will test important aspects of administration practice. It will also provide data on hydrologic influences that would affect the timing and amount of the arrival of the released water at the state line. “For municipalities that rely either wholly or partially on the Colorado River for their drinking water, it’s critical to understand all of the potential aspects a compact curtailment could have on our supplies,” said Pat Wells, General Manager for Water Resources and Demand Management for Colorado Springs Utilities. “Gathering this data before we get to that point will help us all plan for the future.” As the water is released into Homestake Creek and travels downstream to the Eagle River and the Colorado River, the State Division of Water Resources will “shepherd” or facilitate the released water to the state line. The release of 1,800 AF represents contributions of 600 AF each by Colorado Springs Utilities, Pueblo Board of Water Works, and Aurora Water. This will not put any of the entities’ storage at risk; for example, 600 AF represents less than 0.3% of current system-wide storage in Colorado Springs Utilities’ raw water system and less than 0.4% of Aurora’s storage. “The timing is perfect for this sort of investigation,” stated Alexandria Davis, Deputy Director for Water Resources for Aurora Water “Our reservoirs are well positioned at this time, even with the current drought conditions, and the lower flows in the rivers mean we will generate valuable information regarding protocols and practices currently in place for releasing stored water.” The release is scheduled to occur Sept 23 - Sept. 30 and will produce flows of less than 175 cfs (cubic feet/second). These flows are higher than normal for this time of year in Homestake Creek and Eagle River, but within normal spring/summer runoff levels. There is no inundation concern for property adjacent to the tributaries. The project also has the support by Boulder-based Western Resource Advocates. “We are pleased these Front Range communities are taking a proactive step to address questions about conserving municipal water and shepherding saved water downstream,” Laura Belanger, senior water resources engineer and policy advisor with Western Resource Advocates said. ”This test release will help us understand potential benefits for water security and streams and demonstrates that all Colorado communities have an important role to play in ensuring a sustainable water future for Colorado.” ### Aurora Water the third largest municipal utility in Colorado, providing water, sewer conveyance and storm drain services to the city of Aurora. Aurora Water has over 81,000 accounts, serving a population of over 380,000. Aurora is the only city in the nation with three water treatment facilities with the “Phase IV – Excellence in Water Treatment” designation from the Partnership for Safe Water. ______________________________________________________ The Homestake Partners is comprised of Aurora Water and Colorado Springs Utilities, which own and operate the Homestake Authority. This authority manages and operates the Homestake Reservoir (42,892 acre foot) in Eagle and Pitkin counties. Water from Homestake Reservoir is conveyed to the cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs through a series of tunnels and pipelines through the Otero Pump Station, located just north of Buena Vista, to Aurora’s Spinney Mountain Reservoir in Park County and Colorado Springs Rampart Reservoir in El Paso County. ______________________________________________________ The Front Range Water Council (FRWC) was created in 2008 by the major utilities and districts supplying water for multiple uses on Colorado’s Front Range to work cooperatively to solve water issues and maintain supply for the Front Range’s four million residents, as well as the area’s considerable agricultural, municipal and industrial interests. FRWC members are meeting future water demands through innovative water supply projects and conservation practices that address challenges such as aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent federal regulatory controls, and the prospect of climate variability and its impacts on water demand and supply.