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<br />Things change
<br />
<br />Water project lVas transfonned over its 28-year life
<br />
<br />R., CIIRI, \\"OOOK \
<br />lh, "u{M"Cfr".,r'"i,/
<br />In 1962.lh(' rrying.pan'^rLln'\,;l~ Pro-
<br />jL'([ em i...ioncd an ambitiou, ~horrjnl!
<br />b~t ofproj..x'b in the ^rlan~ls Ri\cr
<br />\';llle} to <,urrl) agricultural. rnunil.:ipal
<br />>!nJ power nL'l~d~ The original ('0<,1 of
<br />Ihe prnj('(;( \\;1<; $J 70 million.
<br />Over the years. the cO..I of the rrojc~t
<br />I'O<'C 1.1<' the !>C('rc of the projl.'l.'l \\;1<' cut
<br />h.ld. 0111('1" p"rh of the rroj~'C1 d\<Ingcd
<br />\\;Ih nc\\ dL'\'c!opmcnH.
<br />
<br />T\\.o "itc, have hlxn d.:\eloped for
<br />rower by othcr group' since the projl'Ct
<br />hcg:ln. Roth al'(' "kJ\~' h('ad hydro';'
<br />which g('n('rale II rncga\\-alt<. of pow.,;-r,
<br />Thom~n \aid. A<,pcn and Pitkin COUTHY
<br />dc\dorx-d one at the ha'i(' of Ruedi Dam
<br />The olher wa<, dc~'elorx-d;1I Turquoi'>C
<br />lalc hy a pri\'<ll': group from 80"'lon.
<br />Ma...., v.hieh !\('II, the pov.er 10 Puhlic
<br />ScniceCo.
<br />Anolh.:r ~ite, lx-t\.'.~'{'n COlojl<l\i and
<br />T not<; Crl'd.. could lx. dcn'lorx'd for fu-
<br />lure rower nl'\.'d\, Thom<,on said,
<br />"nuilding a d;lm there could create an-
<br />other Two Furl.:.. ~itualion:' Thom<;on
<br />C;lulioned.
<br />Other power pt.nh in Ihe original ~}..._
<br />t.;-Ill, including one at Pueblo Dam. have
<br />lx'Cn abandonc..'d. Th;lt allowed the COn.
<br />\lrllction of a smalkr Pueblo Rl'\Cn.oir
<br />Ihal held .\50.000 acre-f~'Ct of \'.aler.
<br />rather than 400.000 :lCre.fecl. Ylhilc th;ll
<br />fC\1U(.."\~ som(' CO..h, il al,o n.'..ulled in a
<br />lower cap;lcity.
<br />lronl('ally. in rC'CCnt yean there have
<br />tx.-..:n di'tCu;;"ionl about cnktrging Ihe re~-
<br />er\'{lir to irn.:rea<.e c:.lrKlcity,
<br />
<br />1~\n:R PI."\'TS
<br />Origin.llI) '-CH'n rO\\cr pl.lnh \\crc
<br />"klnnc..x! with a gener.lting cap;ICit)' (\f
<br />~25 million l.:illH\;tlt hours. - lal.:ing
<br />;td\,tntage of:.l drup in elevalion of .'i.ono
<br />feet bct\\(-cn nwuntain tunnd, and the
<br />e;t\t....rn rklin'i,
<br />Slluthca\tcrn CI.lt>rado ('on...en';lnq'
<br />Di,tricl Gcncr.lll\lanagl'r Tommy
<br />ThOln\on noled th;lt the ,,!:1m \\ere s,oon
<br />Ch;lIlgl-d. The dblrict O\c~'('..lhc
<br />Fr}lngp"n.Arl.:an-.a'i Projl'Cl.
<br />PO\\('r oJX'r~ltlOlh were eon\olidall'll in
<br />J46R into th\.' Mount E1!x'f( Pll\.\-\.'r PI;mt
<br />at Twin Lal.:e... \\hkh gen\.'ratc'i 200 me-
<br />g.IW;ltt~, The rbnl i~ for peal.: row~'r
<br />n,xLls onl}. r;llher than lhe cOlltinuou\
<br />(l!X'fation originall) pbnn('d at the ..j,
<br />othcrs.itcs.
<br />
<br />I'lp[I.I:\'L";
<br />Allother changl' from the origin;11
<br />Fryingpan'^rkan~.H !>CCnario W,h th\.'
<br />
<br />
<br />Tunnel work on West Slope collection system
<br />
<br />Outdoor drama near lake
<br />is group's $3 million goal
<br />
<br />While the m"jor clemellts vI' the
<br />Fryingp;IIl.Arl.:an-';h Projl'\:t !la\'\.' ~'en
<br />fullilleJ \,ilh th\.' completion of the !ish
<br />hatchery. ther\.' is <.Ih\<.I}5 room for mor\.'
<br />acti\it),
<br />
<br />One s\ldl pWj;ram is th.: cr~\.tlion of
<br />an Outdoor Of;t/Tl;l ;llllphilh\.'<lI\.'r .n
<br />Lake Pueblo.
<br />
<br />n.Kl.:cr~ blIp': il \\i11 open b} th\.' loum-
<br />Iller of 1992.
<br />
<br />The Iheatre \\ould Pt-Itx'all'" OIl acme
<br />1I\.',lr th~~ South 1\.larlna olfColorado 96.
<br />
<br />It \\ouIJ us.: n,l[ural ~ating and
<br />\\oulJ tx- abk tll al'commod.lle all,ltIdi-
<br />~'n\:~' ofabollt 1.500,
<br />
<br />A historical theille \\ou]d Ix u",,'tJ fur
<br />the elllranl:e to the area ,lIld a b;lr!x"("ue
<br />and picnic arl.;t would bIo.' cl.ln')trUI.:ted.
<br />P.lrl.:ing for )75 Glrs b p;.trt (lfthe
<br />pl.m
<br />The nujor hangul" for the 53 million
<br />projC(t il finding funds,
<br />The money now i~ bdng sought from
<br />the U.S, Dc-panmcn! of Education, since
<br />the plan for producing outdoor pla}s in.
<br />ctudl.'S working with Ihe Unin:rsit). of
<br />Suulhern Coloradu <lnd PU\.-blo Commu.
<br />nit> Colkgt'.
<br />-,
<br />
<br />
<br />con..lruction ormunidpal pipclinC<i,
<br />Origin.lll). plan'i c;llled for pipeline..
<br />from Canon City 10 Colorado Spring.,
<br />and from the Pueblo Re<,('(\oir to the cit-
<br />ies of the l..(lwer Arbno;.as Valley.
<br />The .site of the Color;ldo Spnng~ pipe-
<br />line c\enluaU} lx'Cllme Fountain Crl'Ck.
<br />The FOllntain Val!.:} Authority - ",hkh
<br />includl.'<; Colorado Spring.. and neighbor_
<br />ing dtiC\ - was form('Il a.. a ta~ di'ilrict
<br />to repa)' CO;;!.<; for the pif"l..'line. The line
<br />bring.. \hllcr from lhl' I'u.:hlo RC\Cf\'oir
<br />to the Spnng"i.
<br />Thnm\on Solid Congre~" agrc<.'Il to
<br />fund the constfUdion of the rirx'line he-
<br />cau<;(' (If the large number of milit"r)'
<br />in<;tJlbti(lfl~ III Colorado Springs.
<br />The Arbn...,s Valll'} Conduit ....ould
<br />ha\'e SCf\OO cities ;lnd "'ater di..trkts ea..t
<br />of Pueblo. Tho'oC en(itk,. eyeing Ih\.' high
<br />Cthls of comtructing the pipdine. halked
<br />all:luilding it in Ihe btc I'H..O... ToJ"y.
<br />there haw bI..--cn rcne\\'\.'J di..cu.....ion..
<br />ahout con..tructing the pipdine.
<br />From the lx'ginning. thl.' eo..t of build-
<br />ing the pirx'hne.. \\a.. 10 ht: raid b} klC-...1
<br />communitic....
<br />
<br />Mf::\IRf.RSHlI'
<br />Some pn.~nt m\.'mb.:rs of the ('"on-.cr-
<br />\'anL:Y distn.;t originall) \.\-ere not indud.
<br /><<I.
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<br />Lamar pulk-d out (lfthe district in ~
<br />1958. Thom...on said Ihe community ci.
<br />f\.'ared thai ...malkr amount, of\\;lter in :;
<br />the' Fryingpan-Arlan...l<' proj("("t (;ti ,;.
<br />oppo,cd to the e;lTlicr Gunni..on- .::
<br />Arkan..a... plan) \.'.\.'re hurl ih (hance'i of f
<br />oblaining any pmj('ct "ater. ~
<br />lIo\.'.c...er. Lamar r\.'joinetlth~ di..lrid ...
<br />in 1968. C
<br />Another I.1te entry into thc di<.trict .g
<br />wa~ Pueblo WC\t. lhecommunity, nol ~
<br />)'ct in e,i'itcncc \.I. Ill'n Ihe proj('ct began. ~
<br />W;J'i al/oVo-cd inlo Ihe di"trict under the .!:
<br />condition that it would rl'Cciw no Wilfrr ii
<br />until all other needs \\ ithin the di~trict 0
<br />"ere satisli\.'J. The deH'lopcrs tool.. th.... E
<br />C;l~ 10 the Suprl'me Court in th.... 1980... E
<br />but the origtn;d court d~'Cision unl.kr ~
<br />\Iohieh Pucillo WI.'st \.'..1" adllllth:d \.'.a" u
<br />upheld. III
<br />Thom~m SOlid the rks","-'ml'r Oildl Co, ::
<br />was add\.'d to the di<;lrict ;lft\.'r i\ forml.'tI. ~
<br />~
<br />TlJ~:'Ioi[fS ~
<br />Thomson ..aid another change in the :i
<br />projl.(:t v. a.. the reliance on tunnd\ - up a
<br />to ISO or 200 feet und\.'rground _ It) E
<br />mme \.\-ater acTO\" Ihe ('ontinenlal Di. r
<br />\iJe.
<br />In (';HI) di~lI'i..io"" ..bout th.... Fr}ill!!- 0
<br />p;Ill-^rLm'>OI'i, c.m;lls wcre thc I:norcd 3
<br />medium.
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<br />Red letter dates
<br />in the life of
<br />Fry ingpan- Arkansas
<br />
<br />. Aug. ]6. 1962 - Pr\.'~idl'nt John
<br />F. Kenn<:d) sign.. th\.' bill aUlhoriting
<br />Ihe Fr}ill!!p;m.Arbnsal rroj\.'ct.
<br />. Aug. 17. 1962 - Kennl.-Jy
<br />aJJrl'S~~'S a Iargt' crowJ at I'uc-b!o
<br />announcing Ihe pr(l~'{..t.
<br />. 1%-1 to 1968 - ConstrU\:lion of
<br />RuC'di Dam neM A..ren.
<br />. 1966 to 1972-Con'tflKlionof
<br />(Jouqc.ld Tunnel connl'{.,ting ";lIer.
<br />~heds near A"rcn t~) I..iles near Lead.
<br />
<br />,ilk"
<br />
<br />. I\Ug, 16. 1967 - Groundbr\.'ak.
<br />ing for I'u~'bru 1).lm.
<br />
<br />. 1970 to 1975 - Con~tfuction of
<br />Ilucblo 0;'1111 and Res\.'f\oir.
<br />
<br />. 1l)7llo 19~I-Con'truction of
<br />the 200-megav.-all '-It. Ubt.'rt I'o\\cr
<br />"lant al Twin lak~.
<br />
<br />. 19X6 to 1990- Constru\,:lion of
<br />the Pu\.'blo Fi~h H.tlclll'ry.
<br />
<br />Damian P. Ducy founded Steel Citr.
<br />Agencies in 1930 and was the first Pres.
<br />dent of the company. Early in his
<br />business career. he became convinCed
<br />that Southeastern Colorado needed to
<br />develop major water reSOUrces. In 1943
<br />he began to attend water meetings In the
<br />Arkansas Valley. In 1945 he accepted the
<br />unpaid position of President of the
<br />Southeastern Colorado Water Develop,
<br />ment Association, the predecessor of
<br />the Southeastern Colorado Water Con-
<br />servancy District
<br />He served as President of the Associa-
<br />tion for nine years, traveling to
<br />Washington D.C. several times each
<br />year and attending meetings throughout
<br />the Valley, leading and joining the ef.
<br />forts of many others (or the Frying Pan
<br />Arkansas Project. In 1962 President Ken.
<br />nedy signed the bill to begin the prolect
<br />
<br />
<br />Damian P. Duc~
<br />FOUNDER, STEEL QTY AOHICfES
<br />1"':::!&"!W'...J:t"~
<br />~ .....
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