WSP08733

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/7/1960
• Author: Acting Sec of Interi
• Title: Letter from Acting Secretary of the Interior transmitting a Report and Findings on Ruedi Dam and Reservoir Colo Pursuant to the Federal Reclamation Laws
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

3688

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LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

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THE PRESIDENT,
The lVhite HO'lkSe.
(Through the Bureau of the Budget.)
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: My report on a plan of development for Ruedi
Dam fwd He.servoir, Co]o., js submitted herewit.h in accordance wIth
the Reclamation Project Act of lU39. It is" supplement to the. report
OIl the Fryingp,m-Arkansas project which was printed as Honse Doc-
ument. 187, 8:.hl Congress. Huedi Dam and Reservoir is rl'oposed as 11
subst.itute for Aspell Dam fi.nd Re~ervoir which wus orIginally pro-
posed as a feature of the Frying-pan-Arkansas project.
Adopt.ion of Hllelli D,llll lllld Heseryoir ItS the replacement facility
fOl' the Fryingpall-Arkansas project, in lieu of Aspen Dam and Res-
elToir, will aceomplish t.wo important, purposes. Substnnt,ial benetits
will accrue to water lI~el'S and other illtCl'ests UII the western slope of
the Cont.inental ])ivide as well as on t.he eastern slope. The condi-
t.iolls at. t.he site permit develoPlllent of a Jllueh larger rese_l"\'oir, there-
by providing' fof' the west slope interests ~ln assured water Hupply
which may be w:ie(f fOI" irrigation, for municipal water supply, for
water Ileeded to SUppOl't ,Ill oil shale recovery ind.ust.ry, 01' for ot.her
purposes. The nsh :Ill(f wildlife and recreational benetits of the reser-
voir will he substcllltial, and the re.sel'yoil' will impound floodwaters
whidl otherwise would cause dalllnge downstream.
This repol't is rll::'signed primilrily to delllollstrate the just.ification
fOI' lmilcling TIlle.-li 1 ),tlll and HeseL'\'oir to 1t greater l'itpacity t.han
would be net:eSSl1ry solely to pedorm the replacement storage function
for the Fryingpall-ArI\;\llsas project. For this reaSOH. unly that por-
t.ion of the C'o~t wh i(;h is in exct'-ss of the cost previously justified for
replacement, stomf!'e is tonsiclerecl ehal'gf'ahle to t.he westerll slope uses.
In the abSf'lll'e uf firm requirements for the water so developed at
this t.illle, and without prejudice to future use of the water for Irriga-
t.ion if t.hat. use should de\.elop first, the consen'ation st.ol':tg'e capacity
is alloeated to mUllieipal and industrial water supply. The report
f'stablislles~ and suppleme.ntary flo(~lImellts includ.ing n.. letter from the
Depart.ment of t.he Navy eOIlTIrm, that an oil shale indust.ry lllHi a.ffili-
at.ed uses, when esta1blis.hed in ~stel'Tl Colorado, will require a great
deal more water than i~ ava.ilalfl'e without storage regulat.ion. Since
the date of neef} for suell water is uncertain, the provisiolls of the
'Vater Supply Acl, of 1%8 (Public Law' 80-;;00) were used to permit
pro\'isioll of storage for de-ferred use. The State of Colorado is will-
lTl~ to gi\'c aSSUl'anee require.d by t.hat. act that repayment of the costs
alloented to that. use will he forthcoming.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
OFFfCE OF THE SECRET.ARY,
1V a8hingt-on, D.O., February 135, 1960.

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