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M;Oo"r:; .~.- ".." '.j CHAPTER III WATER RIGHTS the Curecanti unit right. The aggregate amount of upstream depletions for vhich the priority of the Curecanti right may be vaived has not yet been determined. An upstream depletion of 60,000 acre-feet was allowed in the operation studies for the Curecanti unit in the determination of the water supply available for power generation. Use of Curecanti Reservoir Storage Special contracts would be required for use of storage in Curecanti reservoirs for developments above or below the reservoirs. Charges would be made for the storage but the rate for payments has not yet been deter- roned. No p"ayment would be required for depletions of the streamflow at Curecanti reservoirs from upstream developments unless storage space in the reservoirs were substituted for" storage required upstream. . Possible Exchanges with Uncompahgre Project In the three plans outlined in this report water of the Uncompahgre project has been assumed to be available to the Upper Gunnison project on an exchange basis. In the comprehensive and intermediate developments water would be replaced to the Uncompahgre project from the Upper Gunni- son project facilities while in the small development replacement would be made from the large storage reServes soon to be available in the Curecanti reservoirs. In all the plans considered the Uncompahgre proj- ect vater users vould continue to receive the same quantities of water and in the same pattern as in the past. Of course, no exchanges involv- ing the Uncompahgre project could actually be made until prior agree- ments had been negotiated vith the Uncompahgre Water Users Assoc;Lation. which is responsible for administration of that project. Although charges that would be made for use of replacement storage in Curecanti reservoirs have not yet been establiShed, certain charges have been estimated for analyses of the small plan requiring use of the storage. These charges have been based on the actual costs of provialng storage in Blue Mesa Reservoir and, for each acre-foot of active reser- voir capacity, they amount to $52 for construction, $4 for interest dur- ing construction where applicable, and $0.10 annually for operation, maintenance, and replacements. These estimated charges may be either higher or lower than those finally established. The estimated costs for use of replacement storage were included in the repayment analyses of the small plan and were considered a part of the project repayment Obligation. The cos~"vere excluded from the benefit-cost analyses, however, as they are considered sunk costs and therefore not properly a factor in the comparison of benefits and costs from future construction. As additional studies are made in the Upper Gunnison Basin, further consideration viII be required of the possible use of Uncompahgre project 13 .