<br />0006liO
<br />
<br />N...bT/i. #/.
<br />r~ 200/
<br />
<br />PwrpoJ.e ad tig~
<br />
<br />On April I!. 195tJ,lhe Colorado Riwr Smrage
<br />ProjI;'C[ Act \('3S pasS<c'J by Congress. for the
<br />purpose!., among others. Of reclamation of arid
<br />lands: regul:ning river 110w: flood control;
<br />storage and deli\'erv 'Of .....::uer for beneticial
<br />cQn~umplive u~s; providing public outdoor
<br />rcue-alian: improving conditions for fish and
<br />wildlik and proyiding hydl'Ql."lectric pown.
<br />CurecanlrNRA i~'as neate~ by Section S'of
<br />this act-to pro\'iJe puhlic'recreationa] facilities;
<br />10 conserve Ihe l-tt:ller'\'. Ihe natural. historir.:.
<br />and archt'ologic ob}el.ts. and the wildlife: to
<br />prl?viJe for publk use anJ enjoymem of the'
<br />lands and water :lre;ll. al Cure.::!n!i by suer
<br />mean.s as are conr;istent with the primal')' pur-
<br />poses of the oyerall project: and 10 pro, ide fa-
<br />cilities to. mitigate ]os<;('s of. and improve con-
<br />ditiohs for. the propagation of fish and ....ildlife.
<br />
<br />Other legislation nffecting thl: managl:rTh:nt of
<br />the ~RA includes tht" National Environmental
<br />Policy Act. the National Historic Pre..er.ation
<br />An. the Archeological Resoul\:e.~ Prote<:titln
<br />Act.lhe Endangc~d Species Act and the I~ Itl
<br />Or~anic Act. whil:h' created the National Park
<br />St'T\ice. The Organic Act ~tat("s: '"n'l' un'iet'
<br />(h~f l's"lblishrd Ilwll promolt' allll rl'gulatl' Ihe
<br />u.~t' tl/ rhe Federal area:~ klUJWfI as natiO/wl
<br />I'drlcr. monurnenlJ, (lIld re.f<I:T"\'aliO!l!i 1/('rl'il1<1f-
<br />ler .~pl','ified bv JI.d, ftll"tl!l.f and 'nea.Iurt's uS
<br />amform 10 (Ii; fimdamelltdl PII,.,w.\'" of tht' ".rid
<br />parlcr.'mmllunf-ntJ, and re5lV'\'oti01t!i. .....I,iell
<br />pllrpt>se LI 10 CO/Huw'lhe !i(.ene1"\. (mJ the'
<br />I/murplllll/l hislon'c objects and Ih,' .....ild tift:
<br />Iherdn and 1(> prlll"idt' for Iht' enjoymel/I oj tht'
<br />.f,mlt' in .fuch m"l/nt'r ,md b.\' Juch meCllls a.J
<br />.....i111etl\:r Ill.'''' unimpclired jor threlljoY/ll,'nf
<br />.ojfu(ure gt'nrmrimu,'~
<br />
<br />Given these congressional mandates. and with
<br />(he help of input from puhlic in\'olwmcnt th:1l
<br />was o:ondUl;tcd during the Jcn'lopmcnt (If the
<br />19Q7 Grnallf,\{an<1gl'/Ilr!lt PIW1, the Park Ser-
<br />vice hac. <,t3.tl.'d (he puJ"flO!>C of the :"RA to b.::
<br />.' To ('onfer\l' the sCt:nt:,..,.. l/a/ural. und ('ul.
<br />lur,,1 r('Stlun:t:s. tI11a lvildhf~ ofCUrCCllnri
<br />,\"lulorwl R.'crearion..-\rC(I
<br />To IIlllndl:lI' tM land.J. \\"al/'rJ, fisl! and
<br />.....i/cll(fc. und r('at'mic)!",1 (J('flrillt'.f ol
<br />CurC14mti X<lri(J1wl Re,'rra/ion Area by
<br />mcans 11/d( ,/Ft' emui.Hen/ .....i'h Rrdama-
<br />
<br />lion 1<1\\". as mnl'ndeJ and supplemenud.
<br />i/ldudin.~ rht. purfH"W~ oJlhe Colorado
<br />Rn'~r Sroragl' Pro jel'l ACJ and the {/ru:om-
<br />pahgr/' p'm}~ct. and Bureau of Recfam<J-
<br />,ioll ar;:ret;'fflt;'l'Ils afft'cJinx the ol'('rarioll (./
<br />Ihr Aspin.i/I Unit diU! the I./ncomf'lll,r;:rt'
<br />Project.
<br />To prrn'ide jor public undt'nrandin.~. U.H'
<br />.mti t'njoymrnl in such ./ .....".\" (n to ensure
<br />rrsourn.'.Ctmsen'arion and I'iJitor ,faIn)'
<br />_by estllbli.fhin.r;: <lnd muintaining facililic.J
<br />,!nd prOl'iding pmlCt:til'c and imnprniw'
<br />se1"\'icr.f,
<br />
<br />Slgnifi~anl'e is summ;lriud In sla(e{Jk'ntslha(
<br />ca('(ure the essence of Curecanti's impor-a.nce
<br />to lhe nation's natural and cultural he-ritage.
<br />and.~hal recognize the imponance of the unique-.
<br />recreational and scenic n:sources in the area.
<br />. Curecanli"s signitkance is aSSlx:ialC'd with the
<br />following three topIL"5: .
<br />
<br />(I J \\"atl'r R~~(lur~ Thl: I.'\'olution of Ilk
<br />in (he G4Jnnison Basin and its ultimate
<br />d..~nJen.:e on waler isillu.<;u"llleJ and in-
<br />terpreted at Cun:canti, E~'idencc of the '
<br />impaclthat water has had on past Sl."uk-
<br />menls and developments 'abounds in the
<br />Mea's geology and' history. The quality of
<br />wa~r in the Gunni!)Ofi River has been
<br />identified as a nalur.l.1 treasun'.
<br />
<br />The Uncompahgre Proj<:CI was authorized
<br />in 1903 and constructed in the early 190(}"s
<br />to provide ioigation wala from the Gl,ln-
<br />nison Riq'r to the Vncompahgie,\'alley.
<br />Th~ Gunnison tunnel and its divl.'rsion
<br />dam al Ea...t Ponal .....ere completed h)
<br />IQI~. The o-mik long Gunnisoll (uJUlCI is
<br />an 3ctiveirrigation-<;ttucture .....hich isrec-
<br />ognized as a ~:1!ional Civil Engineering
<br />L1ndmarlL
<br />
<br />The Aspinall Unit (fum'll.'rl) Curecanli
<br />[!nitl .....as one- of the ini(ial stor.Jge units of
<br />(he Colondo Ri\er Stom,lle Projl:t:t. 'rhe
<br />need for (he Colomdo Rivcr SlOr.lge Pro-
<br />jl.'Cl was eO\i"'1bned as earl... ao; 'IQ~~ .....ith
<br />a plan submitted to Congr-e-s!' in 1~50. The
<br />proje~t ....as JuthorizM l'1y tbe Colomoo
<br />Ri"'r Storage Proje~( Ad of 11)50 to pro-
<br />
<br />~3
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<br />BUR ;., (-h<Jrg(.d....;ih.('on51~"..rion.
<br />,,~ru'i",,<1Jid,~jnt.'n<J'l<.tofIJr(.
<br />:\J'pllluI1L:..i!<lTldlh..l'n('omf'<1hgrt
<br />Projnt JmM find rtlau,IJ"d/ilit.l.
<br />
<br />". . . to. proddt' for
<br />irrigarion.flood cOlllroJ,
<br />
<br />"ydrot'lali.jc power. fish
<br />and wildJif(', ~~l(1
<br />
<br />rl'crnllioll."
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<br />.\Iorm,,' P"im D<'m i'! orte (If rhrtO"
<br />dm1l.l'''f lilt .-t'pmll/L Unit built
<br />d..rin.~thtf)()".I(J"d 70'1'
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