Page 1 · Decision at a glance
Homestake Valley, the Whitney proposal and the decision requested
Homestake Valley holds groundwater-fed fens, wet meadows, ponds and connected wildlife habitat. Existing collectors and a reservoir already send water east. Whitney would add flooding, collection and uphill pumping. Save Homestake opposes Whitney and further diversion, and asks Eagle County to deny the project if applicable standards cannot be met. The County’s independent permit review covers the complete project.
| Finding | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|
| Shared wetland exposure | Every option floods the same 81.4 mapped acres; totals reach 85.4–134.8 acres. The wider connected system contains 362.1 mapped wetland/potential-fen acres through the Eagle River confluence near Red Cliff. |
| Existing water export | About 23,400 acre-feet per year exported through Homestake Tunnel versus 21,500 continuing down the creek past Gold Park, the stream gauge below the existing reservoir and collectors, in water years 2007–2024. |
| Connected footprint | Flooding removes habitat; collection changes seasonal water; roads, pumping, power and conveyance extend the effects beyond the lake. |
Evidence basis: full-pool wetland models; rounded annual averages for the same 18 water years; no final configuration selected in the public record checked July 28, 2026.
Page 2 · Decision grounds and record
Judge the whole project and the supply it could actually provide
The footprint extends beyond the waterline
Seasonal water keeps peat wet and sustains breeding pools, forage and wildlife passage. Beavers are a keystone species: their large ecosystem influence comes from dams holding water for other wildlife. Construction and operation affect habitat, access and water continuing to the Eagle and Colorado rivers.
The County makes an independent permit decision
On October 27, 2026, Eagle County’s commissioners approved revised 1041 rules for water projects and other activities. The Board voted to make them effective upon passage of a separate enacting resolution. As of November 2, 2026, passage of that resolution could not be verified.
Under both Chapter VI and the approved rules, an applicant must show that the project meets every applicable permit standard. If a standard would still fail after conditions are imposed, the Board must deny the permit. A Whitney permit would require its own decision.
October 27 hearing transcript, 52:31–54:34 · 1041 rules, §§211, 401 and 406 · October 27 revisions, §§105, 109 and 201
Storage is not dependable annual supply
Whitney concepts hold 6,850–20,000 acre-feet at once. Eagle River Joint Use, the cooperative water-development framework that includes Whitney planning, seeks up to 20,000 acre-feet per year for the East Slope. Reliable Whitney supply depends on refill water. Shoshone’s earlier rights can limit upstream diversions. Under the Colorado River Compact, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming must not cause flow below the ten-year threshold at Lee Ferry, Arizona, the interstate accounting point. Federal rules govern storage and releases at Lakes Powell and Mead, the major downstream reservoirs. Warming and these distinct limits shape Whitney’s lifetime supply.
Conservation gives the cities choices
Aurora reports water use down 36% since the early 2000s alongside reuse and landscape reform. Colorado Springs Utilities reports a 40% per-capita decline since 2001 and 276 acre-feet of savings from its 2024 conservation work. These different measures show that demand can change. Further savings and reuse reduce future supply needs.
Open the technical record
Visual Guide: place, proposal and reservoir maps. Water Findings and Water Technical Companion: methods and calculations. Ecology Technical Companion: wetlands, habitat and routes. 1041 Evidence Dossier: the October 27 rules and their significance for Homestake. Complete Case: full case and sources.