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<br />(\1 <br />.,.., <br />~ <br />'-\! <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Intreduction <br /> <br />In 1981 the Colorado General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 439 authori- <br /> <br />zing the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to conduct water resource <br /> <br />development studies for the Yellow Jacket Project on the White River. The <br /> <br />objective ef the study was to evaluate the technical feasibility of devel- <br /> <br />oping the water rights owned by the Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District. <br /> <br />The CWCB contracted with International Engineering Company (IECO) to <br /> <br />conduct the Yellow Jacket study. During the early stages of the study, IECO <br /> <br />identified irrigation as a potential use of Yellow Jacket water. <br /> <br />Authority <br /> <br />The CWCB requested the Bureau of Reclamation to study the proposed <br /> <br />Yellow Jacket Agricultural increment. Emphasis of the study has been placed <br /> <br />on "Payment Capacity" (the ability of farmers to repay project costs) and <br /> <br />"Agricultural Benefits" (benefits accruing to the divert users of irrigation <br /> <br />water). This study has been conducted under the State assistance program <br /> <br />funded by the State of Colorado. <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />Project Background <br /> <br />The Yellow Jacket Project area has been included in many studies. It <br /> <br />was included as part of the Yampa White Project, a Reclamation reconnaissance <br /> <br />report in 1957. It was first identified as a separate project by the <br /> <br />Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956. .Reclamation drafted feasibility <br /> <br />reports on the Yellow Jacket Project in 1968 and again in 1972. These <br /> <br />reports did not move forward because of unresolved mitigation issues. In <br /> <br />1976 the Bureau reported on a reformulated Yellew Jacket plan tailered to <br /> <br />meet environmental concerns. Anticipated municipal and industrial water <br />