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The operators of a proposed copper mine in the ecologically diverse Santa Rita Mountains would more than replace water used in the operation and would hide the open pit behind a man-made ridge, they said last week.

The changes were not enough for some environmentalists.

"The mitigations they've offered pale in comparison to what the impacts are going to be," said Matt Skroch, executive director of Sky Island Alliance, a Tucson conservation group.

If the detailed operations plans submitted to the U.S. Forest Service are approved, Vancouver-based Augusta Resource Corp. would begin construction on its private land about 15 miles southeast of the city in 2009.

The company submitted an initial plan a year ago and was asked to provide more details, said Jamie Sturgess, Augusta vice president for projects and environment. In February, the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution asking Arizona's congressional delegation not to allow mining and mineral exploration anywhere in the Coronado National Forest.

"The community raised a lot of issues and concerns, and we've tried to address a constructive response," said Sturgess.

For starters, he said, "the primary concern of the community was 'don't take my water,' so we're not."

The open-pit mine would not use water from the delicate Cienega Creek watershed. Instead the company would use groundwater from west of the mine and buy Central Arizona Project water to replace it, Sturgess said. The company already has bought and stored a two-year supply, he said.

The area would actually gain water in the deal, he said. For every 100 gallons of groundwater the mine uses, Augusta would put 105 gallons of CAP water back into the ground. New technology would allow the mine to operate with half the water used by traditional mines, although the project would use about 100,000 acre-feet, Sturgess said. One acre-foot is enough water to cover an acre to a depth of 1 foot.

"No thanks," said Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll. "That's a deal killer."

Although he hadn't reviewed the new plan, Carroll, a Republican, said the project uses too much groundwater and has too much potential for pollution.

The new plan also includes a $50 million community endowment. Half would be invested and managed by trustees to mitigate impacts on the local economy when the mine is closed after 25 years.

The other half would be used for community projects. About $12.5 million would be earmarked for buying land for the county's open-space plan and another chunk could fund anything from a hiking trail to a preschool, Sturgess said.

Sturgess acknowledged there would be negative impacts, including increased traffic and noise. And, of course, a pit more than a mile wide would be left in the ground. But not much of it would be visible from the surrounding areas after a few years. Using a new technique, Augusta would use rock removed from the ground when digging the mine to build a ridge that would look as close to the natural landscape as possible.

"We're talking about the top of the watershed that supports almost a million people, drinking water for Tucson and one of the most biologically rich mountain ranges and regions in the United States," Skroch said. "We're talking about a hole in the ground that's over a mile wide in either direction and tons of material being shipped out on a scenic byway. No matter how pretty the mining company wants to make this mine look, it's still an open-pit copper mine."

Augusta's plan, submitted to the Forest Service on Wednesday, is the first step for the company to get approved to start mining.

Now the Forest Service has 60 days to review the plan.