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<br />Early settlers on lands east of the Rocky Mountains in
<br />Colorado Wund,rim,soHs and'aneven-ctimate'requirtng 'only'
<br />a controlled water supply to produce bountiful crops.
<br />Wlnter snows on the eastern slopes melted rapidly in the
<br />warm early summer producing temporarily swollen rivers
<br />which dwindled to a trickle in midsummer. Rainfall was sparse
<br />and undependable. Pioneer farmers, therefore, banded to.
<br />getherto form mutual stock companies to construct canals for
<br />irrigation of lands away from streams and to build reservoirs
<br />for impounding the early summer runoff for release'later in the
<br />growing season. The canal and rese/Voir network is one of the
<br />largest privately financed irrigation operations in the world.
<br />The area's economy suffered, however, from recurrent
<br />water shortages. The Western Slope had surplus water, and
<br />action to import the large quantities needed to assure mature
<br />crops on the eastern side of the Rockies was spurred by
<br />drought and economic depression In the early_1930's.
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<br />The indispensable Commodity
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<br />The ,:;outh P~atte River Basin in northeastem..coJoradOjS
<br />'famcfus fO''fitS wsttciops: Wrthin'ii':;eNorthem Colorado Water
<br />Conservancy District are some of the best agricultural lands in
<br />the United States. From seed to harvest, a crop's require~
<br />rnents are soil, air, sun, and water. The SOuth Platte Basin has
<br />all of these in abundance-except water.
<br />Average precipitation of 12 inches a year is not enough to
<br />support all of the irrigated agriculture even with the most
<br />efficient conservation. To supplement existing supplies for
<br />both farm and city users, water is imported from the westem
<br />side of the Rocky Mountains via the Colorado.Big Thompson
<br />Project.
<br />The District distributes Project water for use on 750,000
<br />acres to supplement the South Platte Basin supply. Addition.
<br />ally, the District supplies water to numerous industries, to
<br />more than a dozen municipalities, and to twenty some rural
<br />domestic water distributing agencies.
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<br />A Better Land!
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<br />Public-spirited business and farm leaders overcame obsta-
<br />cles as big as the mountains themselves. They raised funds
<br />and organized support. While the engineering problems were
<br />being solved, they satisfied opponents that the project would
<br />help the state alld national economy while not harming the
<br />Western Slope or mountain scenery.
<br />Their Northern Colorado Water Users Association, formed
<br />in 1934, invoked the aid of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
<br />(now called the Water and Power Resources Service) which
<br />not only had excellent design and construction skills but oper-
<br />ated under national legislation permitting power generation as
<br />part of the plan. Power revenues would make project con.
<br />struction economically feasible.
<br />Colorado legislation passed in 1937 (the first of its kind
<br />nationally) enabled formation of quasi~municipal corporations
<br />with power to levy ta)::es, enter into repayment and water
<br />delivery contracts,' and operate and maintain ~orks. The As-
<br />sociation, which stimulated the legislation, was replaced by
<br />the' Northern Colorado Water Conse/Vancy District, formed
<br />under the new lawto be the contracting and operating organi-
<br />zation for the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
<br />By free election, residents of the District agreed upon a
<br />repayment contract with.the Bureau by a vote of 7,508 to 439.
<br />The contract was executed in 1938 obligating the District and,
<br />hence, the people of the area served, to pay for the irrigation
<br />works construction.
<br />With construction complete; the role of the NCWCD today is
<br />to meet construction repayment obligations, provide water for
<br />District water users, and maIntain and operate those project
<br />features which directly serve the water users.
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<br />Released from storage in the foothills reservoirs, Project
<br />water is delivered by the District to the South Platte River and
<br />its prir.cipa\ tributaries. Mutual ditch companies,
<br />municipalities, domestic distributors, and industries request
<br />Project water from the District and take it from streams into
<br />their distribution systems, some of which have been in opera.
<br />tion more than a century.
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<br />Physical Data
<br />WATER'-CONVEYANCe'
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<br />'""-
<br />(M'les)
<br />...................... .............. 6.3
<br />..... 13.1
<br />..m............ 18.5
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<br />Canals, Westem Slope.........................
<br />Alva B. Adamsjunnel.................
<br />Eastern Slope Power Conduit System.. ..................
<br />Canals, Eastern Slope
<br />St. Vrain Supply (625 cfs capacity) .m......... ..mm.......... 9.8
<br />Boulder Feeder (200 cfs) ..... m............... 13.2
<br />Boulder Creek SuWly (200 cfs) ... 2,5
<br />South Platte Supply (230 cfs) .... .... 32.2
<br />Charles Hansen Feeder (930/550 cfs)..... ........................ 13.2
<br />Charles HaflSeQ Supply (1500 cfs) >m 5.6
<br />North Poudre Supply {250 cfs)..... ......................... 12.5
<br />Dixon Feeder (8 cfs) ................... ..... 3.0
<br />TOTAL 129.9
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<br />There are 95.5 miles 01 canal. conduit. and siphon. and 34.4 miles of
<br />tunnel.
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<br />RESERVOIRS Reservoir DAMS Hydraulic C..st
<br /> Capacity Height (ft.) Length
<br /> (Acre-feet) (ft.)
<br />Green Mountain 154,600 264 1150
<br />Granby 539,800 223 861
<br />Willow Creek 10,600 95 1100
<br />Shadow Mtn./
<br />Grand Lake 18,400 37 3077
<br />Mary's Lake 900 20 820
<br />Lake Estes 3.100 Olympus 45 1951
<br />Pinewood 2,180 Rattlesnake 100 1100
<br />Flatiron 760 55 1725
<br />Carter Lake 112,200 190 1235
<br />Boulder 13,270 No. Dike 48 2652
<br /> So, Dike 58 3198
<br />Horsetooth 151,800 111 1840
<br /> Soldier Canyon 203 1438
<br /> Dixon Canyon 215 1265
<br /> Spring Canyon 198 1120
<br />Tolal Project
<br />Storage 1,007,61:0
<br />POWER PLANTS Rated Head Capacity Annual Generation
<br /> (Feet) (Kilowatts) (Million KWH)
<br />Green Mountain...... 203 21,600 78
<br />Mary's Lake.. 205 8,100 50
<br />Estes.. 482 45.000 117
<br />Pole Hill.. 815 33,250 213
<br />Flatiron..,..........,.. 1,055 71,500 286
<br />Big Thompson.. 178 4,500 15
<br /> 183,950 75'
<br />PUMPING Plant C.paclty R.1ed Uft Installed capacity
<br />PLANTS (CFS) (Feet) (Horsepower)
<br />Granby............ 600 186 18,000
<br />Willow Creek.. 400 175 10,000
<br />Flatiron
<br />Reversible 370 240 13,000
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<br />NORTHERN COLORADO
<br />WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT
<br />P.O. Box 679 . Loveland, Colorado 80537 . 303/667-2437
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