Save HomestakeStop Whitney Reservoir

Top priority · public comment open

Put Homestake in the Wild Horse record.

Aurora's application identifies Colorado and Arkansas basin water carried through the Otero system. CDPHE is accepting comments now. Build a personal, evidence-based comment asking the agency to deny Wild Horse Reservoir.

01 / The action that matters now

Tell CDPHE to deny Wild Horse.

This comment window covers Aurora Water's request for a Dredge and Fill Individual Authorization under Colorado Regulation 87. Your strongest comment connects your own experience to a specific fact and a concrete agency action.

95,000acre-feet of proposed storage
1,630acres in the proposed footprint
8.087acres of permanent impacts to state waters
170 ftproposed dam height, with a 3,700-foot crest

Project scale: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Why this belongs in the Homestake campaign

Follow the source water, not just the reservoir outline.

The application identifies existing Colorado and Arkansas basin rights delivered through Otero and describes the Otero Conveyance System as part of the Homestake Water Project. The strongest accurate Homestake demand is source-by-source accounting that separately shows Homestake contributions, diversion timing, losses, downstream effects, initial fill, and every later refill.

Choose your connection

Select the perspective you can make personal.

Choose one or two evidence requests

Focused comments are easier for the agency to answer in the record.

Add what only you can say

Your place, experience, and reason turn shared evidence into your comment.

Before you press send

Make the record stronger.

  1. Keep your personal connection and one concrete observation.
  2. Use one or two evidence requests, not every available argument.
  3. State your opposition and ask CDPHE to deny the authorization.
  4. Use the exact subject line and send before 5:00 p.m. MDT.
  5. Save your sent email and ask CDPHE to acknowledge receipt.

Stay in the official process

Send the formal comment, then track the next reviews.

The CDPHE email above is the action that enters the current Regulation 87 record. Park County and BLM may have later review steps. Ask how to receive official notice so your next comment reaches the right docket.

Open the official record and source documents
CDPHE project page and current deadline Complete application index Individual Authorization application Goal and Objective Report BLM alternatives screening Colorado Regulation 87

02 / Ongoing Homestake advocacy

Keep pressure on every office responsible for the valley.

The Wild Horse comment is the immediate deadline. Use this directory for the continuing fight against Whitney Reservoir and new or expanded interbasin diversions from Homestake Valley.

Find a contact

Find Colorado representatives and Homestake offices. Your ZIP goes directly to public Census and Colorado legislature map services.

How matching works & privacy

ZIP results use Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas. The optional address check confirms a Census map point, then matches it against district boundaries.

Lookup runs directly with public Census and Colorado General Assembly services. Save Homestake does not collect your address or message. The lookup providers process the information you choose to send them.

About Census ZIP areasCensus address lookupColorado General Assembly finder
Use an official lookup instead

Open an official lookup, then use the message editor here.

U.S. House ZIP lookupColorado state legislator lookupAll U.S. senators

Homestake decision makers & public offices

These offices are relevant wherever you live. Each has a different role.

County leadership · Eagle County

Eagle County commissioners

The board makes county policy and land-use decisions collectively.

Official contact pageCall 970-328-8625

Official source · Checked September 13, 2026

Contact a commissioner individually

U.S. Forest Service · Homestake area

Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District

The local forest office can answer questions about public lands, access, and project participation.

Official contact pageCall 970-827-5715

Official source · Checked September 13, 2026

Forest supervisor’s office

U.S. Forest Service · Forest-level office

White River National Forest Supervisor’s Office

Ask about forest-level project review, the responsible office and opportunities for public participation.

Official contact pageCall 970-945-2521

Official source · Checked September 13, 2026

Directory checked September 13, 2026. Use each official source for current officeholders.

Make it your own

Start with the shared message below, or write your own. Add only experiences and observations that are yours.

Writing toChoose an office to see its contact optionsChange contact
Find facts and a starting question

These notes are available to everyone. Use what is relevant, then explain your connection in your own words.

Wildlife

Our cameras keep recording wildlife across Homestake's valley floor, including habitat that one or more studied Whitney reservoir options would flood. If you have seen wildlife here, tell decision makers what that experience meant to you.

A place to start: I want Homestake's wildlife habitat protected because ____.

Read the wildlife evidence
Fishing

Damming the creek and pumping water out would change the water flowing downstream. If you fish here, share what brings you back and why you want this creek protected.

A place to start: Tell decision makers what fishing Homestake Creek means to you.

Read the river protection case
Hiking

Forest Road 703 provides access to Holy Cross Wilderness trailheads.

A place to start: Ask how construction, access changes, and closures would affect this public route.

Read the public-land evidence
Camping & recreation

The valley road serves Gold Park Campground and recreation along Homestake Creek. The 2021 authorization covered temporary drilling access only; a permanent reservoir road would require a separate public review.

A place to start: What experience would you want future visitors to have? Ask about construction access and recreation impacts.

Read the recreation evidence
Wetlands & water

All four Whitney Reservoir options would flood this . A Western Slope-to-Front Range export is to the basin of origin, so none of the diverted water returns to this watershed as return flow. Ask decision makers to protect the wetland and living water already here.

A place to start: Tell them why this wetland and creek matter to you.

Read the fen evidence
Cultural history

Homestake belongs to a wider cultural landscape shaped by Ute history and the former Camp Hale training landscape.

A place to start: Ask how cultural resources and Tribal consultation will be included. Keep sensitive locations private and never approach suspicious objects.

Read the history and field guidance

A short outline for a call
  1. Give your name and describe your connection to Homestake Valley.
  2. State your position on Whitney and share one observation or question.
  3. Ask what role the office has, what happens next, and how to participate.
  4. Ask for the correct contact or written follow-up.

Copying text or opening email creates a draft; it does not send it. Your draft remains in this tab and is not saved by Save Homestake.

How to submit a

This tool creates general advocacy messages. Formal comments must use the channel and deadline in an official notice. We have not identified an open Whitney Reservoir comment period.

Check official county notices
An angler walking through Homestake Creek

Keep the cameras rolling

Help keep this work going.

Purchases from the Save Homestake shop help fund wildlife cameras, field and camera equipment, web hosting, and the time it takes to document the valley, research the project and keep this campaign moving.

Purchases support campaign work and are not charitable donations.

More ways to make a difference

Bring what you can.

We are not organizing for a better version of Whitney. We are organizing to stop it and oppose new or expanded interbasin diversions from Homestake Valley. Our requested outcome is clear: deny Whitney.

01

Know and share the case

Help someone else understand the valley and the campaign's evidence.

Read the visual guide
02

Contribute field evidence

Preserve original files and notes privately. Contact the archive before sharing sensitive locations or identifying details publicly.

Contact the archive
03

Offer your expertise

Bring research, legal, scientific, creative or organizing skills to the campaign.

Offer expertise
See the record we are buildingFollow meetings and campaign updates
Citizen science

Learn it. Record it. Protect it.

Protect the valley by learning it.

Field observations turn care for Homestake into a public record. Join the ongoing BioBlitz, learn to survey wetlands through Team Toad, and help document the life Whitney Reservoir would put at risk.

Aerial view of fen wetlands, beaver ponds, and creek channels in Homestake Valley
Document the valley

Join the Homestake Valley BioBlitz

Photograph plants, wildlife, fungi, and signs of life from public areas of Homestake Valley. Upload observations to iNaturalist so the community can help identify them and strengthen the valley's living record.

Add an observationExplore the BioBlitz
An adult boreal toad held by an authorized gloved researcher
Learn wetland stewardship

Train with Team Toad

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Colorado Parks and Wildlife train community scientists to search high-elevation wetlands for boreal toads, collect useful data, and prevent chytrid from traveling on boots and gear.

Learn and volunteerMeet Team Toad
Directions + BioBlitz habitat map

Use these three marked destinations along Homestake Road to reach the Whitney and Lone Rock fen areas. Observe and photograph from public roads and public National Forest land.

Use established roads, trailheads, and parking areas. Respect private property and all posted boundaries. Do not cross into City of Aurora-owned land or any other private property. Keep vehicles on open roads and protect the fens by staying on durable ground.

Know before you go

Wetlands, waterways, and ownership

Numbered pins mark the three public-road approaches. Cool-color layers map potential fens, other wetlands, river and stream channels, and ponds across the valley, including inside the City of Aurora property. Rust and coral mark private land.

BioBlitz access map showing wetlands, fens, waterways, public land, and private parcels An aerial map of Homestake Road with mapped potential fens, other wetlands, river and stream channels, ponds, and land ownership continuing across the full zoomed-out extent. The habitat layers continue across the City of Aurora property, smaller private parcels, and public National Forest land. Three numbered pins mark public-road approach points. 1 2 3 A B C D

500 m

Tap map to explore full screen

WaterFenPrivate

Open map app · 2D + 3D · GPS + offline

Stay on public land.Use Homestake Road, established parking, and public National Forest land. Do not enter the City of Aurora parcel or any other private parcel, even where a mapped wetland or water feature crosses a property line.
Habitat crosses the property line.Mapped wetlands, potential fens, Homestake Creek, Whitney Creek, unnamed tributaries, and ponds all continue through the City of Aurora parcel.

Boundary reference: Eagle County GIS parcels and Colorado land-management mapping. Potential fen shapes: CNHP White River National Forest potential fen mapping. Other wetland, channel, and pond shapes: CNHP Colorado Wetland Inventory / National Wetlands Inventory, mapped from 2011 imagery. Stream lines and names: USGS 3D Hydrography Program. Whitney A–D: modeled full-pool footprints from our valley explorer. Aerial: USDA / USGS 2019 NAIP. Use this map to plan, then follow current posted signs on site.

Whitney Fen and Wetland AreaWhitney Creek Trailhead approach Lone Rock Fen Area 1Forest Road 703 access point Lone Rock Fen Area 2Forest Road 703 access point

Field visit checklist

Pack for a self-contained day.

Weather changes quickly at high elevation, and the fen approaches do not have dependable visitor services. Bring what you need to stay warm, fed, hydrated, and prepared to pack out every item you carry in.

Clothing

Wear for mountain weather

Bring waterproof boots with traction, warm non-cotton layers, a rain shell, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and spare dry socks.

Food + water

Fuel the full outing

For a half day, bring at least 2 liters of water per person, with more for heat or a longer visit. Pack lunch, high-energy snacks, and a little extra food in case the day runs long.

Toiletries + waste

Plan to pack it out

Do not count on restrooms at the fen approaches. Carry hand sanitizer, toilet paper, sealable waste bags, and a WAG bag as a backup. Pack out all toilet paper, wipes, hygiene products, food scraps, and trash.

Safety + field gear

Stay ready and reachable

Carry a charged phone, offline map, power bank, first-aid kit, headlamp, insect repellent, personal medication, notebook, and camera or binoculars. Tell someone your route and return time.

03 / Organizations on the record

Organizations fighting for Homestake

The valley is not standing alone.

Six independent conservation organizations joined a 2021 Endangered Species Act notice alleging deficiencies in the federal endangered-species review for Whitney-related test drilling. Wilderness Workshop's current Homestake campaign page continues to identify these groups as part of the coalition fighting the reservoir proposal.

Shared legal record · July 7, 2021Six groups gave formal notice of alleged ESA violations.
Read the ESA notice
Organizing · Legal readiness · Community science

Wilderness Workshop

Organized public opposition, pressed for full environmental review of exploratory drilling, hosted the 2021 Save the Homestake Valley Rally, joined the ESA notice, and initiated the Homestake Valley BioBlitz.

Open its Homestake campaign
Endangered Species Act challenge · Fen record

WildEarth Guardians

Filed the 2021 ESA notice on behalf of six groups, challenging the review of risks to greenback cutthroat trout and Canada lynx. Its staff also joined the 2023 fen field work.

Read the ESA notice it filed
Wetlands advocacy · Public education

Colorado Headwaters

Opposes Whitney and maintains a public campaign focused on the threat to Homestake Creek wetlands and the Holy Cross Wilderness.

Open its Homestake wetlands campaign
Homestake II defense · 2021 ESA notice

Holy Cross Wilderness Defense Fund

Created during the fight against Homestake II, the fund renewed its legal opposition during Whitney exploration, joined the 2021 ESA notice, and remains named in the current coalition record.

Open the current coalition record
Public mobilization · Legal advocacy

Save The Colorado

Mobilized public comments and legal advocacy against Whitney, issued a 2020 action alert opposing new dams in the Holy Cross area, and joined the 2021 ESA notice.

Open the Whitney action record
Legal challenge · Community science

Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club

Joined the 2021 ESA notice, is named in the current opposition coalition, and participated in the inaugural Homestake Valley BioBlitz.

Read the shared ESA notice

A broad opposition record. These independent organizations have each taken documented public action against Whitney.

Current coalition record See the credited BioBlitz record

Join the opposition and help build the next action.

Save Homestake is an independent, community-led advocacy project. Email us to join the organizing list, offer expertise, share evidence, or bring us an event and press opportunity.

Email to join the campaignOffer expertiseFollow on Instagram