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<br />would be assured of rights to use the water, a
<br />formal contract was developed for execution
<br />among the United States Government, the
<br />Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy
<br />District, and water users in the Upper Basin,
<br />The contract provides that diversion and storage
<br />rights of the Aspinall Unit would be
<br />subordinated to future inbasin, upstream
<br />development, both private and Federal, even
<br />though the rights of such upstream development
<br />might be junior to the Aspinall Unit right, The
<br />aggregate amount of upstream depletions for
<br />which the priority ofthe Aspinall right may be
<br />waived has not yet been determined,
<br />
<br />The authorizing legislation of the Colorado River
<br />Storage Project listed five projects in the Upper
<br />Gunnison River Basin for priority of
<br />investigations: (1) Bostwick Park, (2) East
<br />River, (3) Fruitland Mesa, (4) Ohio Creek, and
<br />(5) Tomichi Creek, The total depletion by these
<br />five projects was estimated to be about
<br />60,000 acre-feet annually, 40,000 acre-feet of
<br />which would be depleted above Blue Mesa Dam,
<br />An additional 10,000 acre-feet would be depleted
<br />between Morrow Point and Blue Mesa Dams,
<br />and another 10,000 acre-feet would be depleted
<br />between Crystal and Morrow Point Dams, An
<br />increased upstream depletion of 60,000 acre-feet
<br />was assumed in the operation studies for the
<br />Aspinall Unit in the determination ofthe water
<br />supply available for power generation,
<br />
<br />In 1973, Reclamation issued a concluding report
<br />on its Upper Gunnison Project investigations
<br />which included the East River, Ohio Creek, and
<br />Tomichi Creek Units, Although it was
<br />concluded that there was limited potential for
<br />Federal water resourCe development under
<br />existing evaluation criteria and projected
<br />economic conditions, Reclamation still
<br />recognizes its commitment to allow beneficial
<br />development of waters of the Upper Gunnison
<br />River Basin up to 60,000 acre-feet, Excluding
<br />the existing 4,000-acre-foot depletion of the
<br />Bostwick Park Project, but assuming the
<br />depletion of 21,000 acre-feet is realized on the
<br />Fruitland Mesa Project by 2040, there would be
<br />a remainder of 39,000 acre-feet available for
<br />depletion, Somewhat arbitrary levels of
<br />development were used for the period 1990 to
<br />2010,
<br />
<br />UPPER BASIN DEPLETIONS 27
<br />
<br />
<br />West Divide Project
<br />
<br />A feasibility report was prepared in 1966, and
<br />the project was authorized by Public Law 90-537
<br />on September 30, 1968, as a participating project
<br />of the Colorado River Storage Project, Advance
<br />planning studies have continued and various
<br />plans have been considered, but no large project
<br />is feasible, based upon current policies and
<br />procedures for planning water and related land
<br />resources projects, Plans considered included a
<br />mix of water for irrigation and municipal use, A
<br />draft concluding report summarizes available
<br />data and presents a potential but currently
<br />infeasible plan with a 38,200-acre-foot depletion,
<br />For planning purposes, an administrative
<br />decision was made by Reclamation to defer
<br />depletions until 2040. Subsequently, the West
<br />Divide Water Conservancy District has elected
<br />to pursue the construction of Alsbury Dam, a
<br />250-acre-foot reservoir on East Divide Creek,
<br />
<br />Taylor Draw Reservoir Project
<br />
<br />Taylor Draw Dam filled in 1984, Depletion
<br />values were supplied by the Colorado River
<br />Water Conservation District,
<br />
<br />stagecoach Project and Yamcolo Project
<br />
<br />The Stagecoach Project of the Upper Yampa
<br />Water Conservancy District involved
<br />construction of a dam on the Yampa River near
<br />Steamboat Springs and exchange agreements for
<br />water out ofYamcolo Reservoir, The project
<br />would supply about 4,000 acre-feet of water for
<br />irrigation, 1,000 acre-feet for municipal uses,
<br />and 9,000 acre-feet for thermal powerplant uses,
<br />Depletion values for the irrigation and
<br />municipal components were supplied by
<br />Reclamation, Depletion values for thermal
<br />powerplant uses are discussed under Colorado
<br />Ute-Southwest Project,
<br />
<br />Ruedi Contracts
<br />
<br />Estimates of projected depletions for water
<br />contracts from Ruedi Reservoir were taken from
<br />the Ruedi Biological Opinion, Estimates were
<br />9,000 acre-feet in 1990, but would reach the
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