WSP10175

• File Number: 8141.200
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project - Mailing Lists and Correspondence
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1975
• Author: various
• Title: Fourteen Statements History of Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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0738

17

transmountein diversion.

Thet's the be~inning gf it, 05 I recall it.

Miss Burris: Well this Gunnison-Arkansas ?roject then that

wes possibly the be9inning, or of consideration; our Frying-

pan-Arkansas Project wes only 0 portion of that, was it not?

Mr. Chenoweth: Thot's right. The original Gunnis~n-Arkonsos
Project called for about one million acre-fe~t of water to be
brought from tne western slope to the eastern slape. It weS

obvious, I think, from the very beginning that it had no

chonc~ to pass; there was no possibility of authorizing a

project which called for a diversion of that much water and

I think that was recognized by even the most ardent supporters

of the transmountein diversion proposal, So then, tho Bureau

of Reclomction reconsidered. did some more plor,ning and surve)'

work Qnd come up with what we now call the Fryingpan-Arkonsas

Project and that is th~ project which is now under construc-

tion here on the Arkansas Rive~ and the worK on the western

slope has ceen completed; Rueoi Dam has been c0mpleted; whot

they call the Bousteod Tunnel has beGn cvmpleted and the water

is coming through no'.,. ,So it's really on octuality, but one

of the weaknesses of the project is the fact that it only Calls

far the diversion of'9,000 acre-feet of water. I mentioned that

the Gunnison-Arkansas would have brought something like a mil-

lion acre-feet. So it~s quite a difference and some of those

who opposed the project said "Why, here now, you're just trying

to get your feet in the door; you're not going to ae satisfied