Since 2005, ERO Resources Corporation (ERO) has been a trusted environmental consulting partner to the City of Aurora’s Water Resources Division (Aurora Water) in evaluating a potential off-channel reservoir near Hartsel, Colorado. This proposed reservoir would play a key role in meeting long-term water supply needs for one of the fastest-growing communities in Colorado.
ERO’s involvement began with a wetland delineation to assess potential U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction, resulting in a nonjurisdictional determination in 2005. That determination has been renewed every five years, with ERO continuing to handle these renewals on behalf of Aurora Water.
As planning evolved, ERO’s role expanded to include National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, helping to define the goals, objectives, alternatives screening criteria, and providing technical resource studies for the project. ERO has worked closely with Aurora Water and the project’s third-party contractor to support the preparation of an environmental impact statement.
Starting in 2014, ERO conducted cultural and natural resource surveys to support feasibility studies and to inform categorical exclusions (CEs). Resources addressed in these CEs included:
- Cultural resources
- Mountain plover habitat (a Bureau of Land Management sensitive species)
- Wetlands
- Golden eagle nests (protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act)
ERO also prepared supporting documentation such as cultural survey reports, wetland delineations, recreation studies, and hazardous materials assessments, all key elements for NEPA documentation and decision making.
To date, ERO has surveyed approximately 7,500 acres, documenting more than 300 cultural resource sites. These include Indigenous campsites, raw material sources, specialized activity areas, architectural remnants, and historic homesteads. Many of these sites have undergone evaluative testing to determine their significance under the National Historic Preservation Act.