WSP10594

• File Number: 8131.600
• Description: Southeastern Colorado Water conservancy District - SECWCD
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 1/1/1972
• Title: Brochure No 2 - Operating Principles Fryingpan Arkansas Project and Excerpts from Letter to Secretary of Interior -- The Future of the Arkansas Valley is It's Water---
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

PREAMBLE

The Sou1heastern Colorado Water Conservancy
District was created by the District Court in Pueblo,
Colorado. on rhe 29rh day of April, 1958, follow;ng
the c"rrcu\otion of petitions throughout ,he nine coun-
ties which stood to derive benefits from the Fryingpan-
Arkansas project.

This brochure, and others in the series, are in-
tended to help identify Ihe absolute importance of
water in the Arkansas Volley of Colorado. It is entitled
"The future of the Arkansas Valley is its water", and
certainly no statement can better identify the fact
that the one single item which predicates the future
of this area is its use of waler. Areas which hove
woter c.on plan for unlimited growth and prosperity.
Others, which have woter in limited quantity, but use
if and protect it wisely, can hove limited growth and
prosperity. Those areas which do not plan for future
development and use of this precious commodity,
have already established the point and time beyond
which they cannot grow and prosper.

The Fryingpan.Arkonsos water prolect began as
a dream many years ago, when 0 few visonary men
and women realized the seriousness of water. They
set about studying the water laws of Colorado: the
amounts of water to which the citizens of this state
were legally entitled, but which they were not using;
the engineering involved in making this water avail-
able to the citizens of Colorado; and the procedures
to be followed in making their dreams a reality.
They sifted reoms of information, held countless
in-state Clnd auf-of-state meetings, and finally deter-
mined the Fryingpan proiect was the best way to get
Colorado and Arkansas river water for the present
and future citizens of the semi-arid Arkansas Valley.

On August 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy
signed the bill passed earlier by the Congre'Ss of The
United States creating the Fryingpan-Arkansas proi-
ect. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy
District became the legal agency responsible for
the repayment of the reimburseable portion of this
multi-million dollor multi.purpose project. The in-
formation contained in this, and other brochures,
explain the crifical role being performed by the
District and the serious responsibilities which have
been imposed upon the fifteen men who serve as
directors for this agency.

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES
FRYINGPAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT

ADOPTED BY THE STATE OF COlORADO
APRIL 30. 1959

(As cn~,ended December 30, 1959,
and December 9, 1960)

The construction and operation of the proiecf
involve the diversion of water from the headwaters
of the Fr.yingpan River and other tributaries of the
Roaring Fork River to the Arkansas River Basin.

The project contemplates -
(0) The maximum conservation and use of
waler;
(b) The protection of western Col~rado water
uses, both existing and potential in accordance with
the declored policy of the Stale of Colorado; and
(c) The preservation of recreational values.
In order to accomplish such purposes, the project
sholl be operated by the United States in compliance
with the Federal reclamation lavvs, the lows of the
State of Colorado relating to the appropriation, use,
or distribution of water, and the following operating
principles:
1. As used herein:
(0) "Project" means that certain enterprise plan-
ned and designed by the Bureau of Reclamation,
Deportment of the Interior, for the transmountain di-
version of water from the headwaters of 1he Frying-
pan River and other tributaries of the Roaring Fork
River to Ihe basin of the Arkansas River, together
with all of its appurtenant works and facilities in
both eastern and western Colorado.
(b) "Eastern Colorado" means that portion of
the State of Colorado lying within the natural drain-
age basin of the Arkansas River.
(c) "Western Colorado" means that portion of
the State of .Colorado lying within the natural drain-
age basin of the Colorado River and served by diver-
sions made from the Colorado River, or its tributaries,
above its confluence wilh Ihe Gunnison River.
(d) "Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy
District" means that entity created to contract for
payment 10 the United States of an appropriate por-
tion of project cost allocated to certain water uses
in eastern Colorado.
2. The Ruedi Reservoir shall be constructed and
maintained on the Fryingpan River above the town
of Basalt with on active capacity of not less than
100,000 acre-feet. In addition thereto and in order
to offset adverse streamflow conditions on the Roar-

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