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w9P 11RLfr WATER has been the key ta all grawth since settlement firs' started in the Arkansas Valley in the early 1800's. Numerous measures, some of them ingenious, have been taken over the years to bolster the flow of the principal water source, the Arkansas River. A milestone was reached on August 16, 1962, when the for-flung Fryingpan-Arkansos Project was authorized as Q multipurpose water development in central and southeast- ern Colorado. Project water will be diverted from Western Slope watersheds in the Colorado River Basin through a tunnel piercing the Con- tinental Divide to the Arkansas River Basin east of the Rockies. This diverted water plus regulated flows of the Arkansas River will produce hydroelectric power, serve municipal and industrial needs, and supplement irrigation requirements for 280,600 irri- gable acres in tl1e Arkansas Valley. Recreation, conservation and development of fish and wildlife resources, and flood con- trol comprise otl1er useful and beneficial purposes of the project. Replacement storage on the West Slope of tl1e Continental Divide is provided by Ruedi Dam and Reservoir. Otl1er Western Slope features include tl1e north and south side collection sys- tems and Charles H. Boustead Tunnel. All will be inlegrated by a system of 26 miles of tunnels and conduits to divert an aver- age of 69,200 acre-feet of water annually ta the Eastern Slope. Project water transported from the Western Slope will be stored and regulated in Turquoise lake on the East Slope. Power canals will carry water released from Turquoise lake to the Mt. Elbert Pumped Storage Powerplant at Twin lakes and the Otero Powerplant at Clear Creek Reservoir. Otero Powerplant releases will flow into tl1e Arkansas River to Pueblo Reservoir, the ter- minal and principal storage feature on the East Slope.' The 357,000 acre-foot capacity reservoir will provide storage and regulation of oil project water for downstream use. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District was created in 1958 to develop and administer the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project. The District thus become the legal agency responsible for the repayment of the reimbursable portion of the multimillion dollar project. RUEDI DAM AND RESERYOIR- Earlhfill dam- 287 feel high- 102,360 acre-feet of storage for replacement use on West Slope- 1,000-acre water surface- 12-mile shoreline- comple- ted 1969. SUGAR LOAF DAM AND TURQUOISE LAKE - Earlhfill dam- 135 feel high - 130,000 acre-feel af slalOge - 1,788-acre water surface- 11-mile shoreline- completed 1969. TWIN LAKES DAM AND RESERYOIR- Earlhfill dam- 60 feel high- 166,000 acre-feet of storage - 3,137-acre water surface- 13.B-mile shoreline. Mt. Elbert Pumped Storage Powerplant, located on the north shore of Twin Lakes Reservoir- powerplant ultimate capacity 200,000 kilowatts. PUEBLO DAM AND RESERYOIR- Earlhfill dam- 210 feel high, 10,200 leet lang- 357,000 acre-Ieel af slarage- 5,700.acre water surface- 60-mile shoreline. Principal storage reservoir of project regulating water for irrigation and municipal and indus- trial use. l;!-GPO 832.557