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, ',-",:.~ 1 o l" 'CC CJ March 1975 WEST DIVIDE PROJECT Sumnary Shee ts Location The West D~vide Project is located in west-central Colorado in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Purpose The West Divide Project would provide water for irrigation and for muni- cipal and industrial uses. It would also provide benefits to recreation, fish and wildlife, and flood control. Status The West Divide Project is in advanced planning stages which will culmi- nate in a Definite Plan Report and Draft Environmental Statement scheduled for release in June 1978. The project was authorized by the Colorado River Basin Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537) as a participating project under the Colorado River Storage Project Act of April 11, 1956 (Public Law 84-485). An advisory committee has been formed from local interest in the area to aid in the investigation. Plan (As recommended in the authorizing report) Project water will be obtained from a series of Colorado River tribu- taries south of the river. Crystal River flows will be regulated at Placita Reservoir. Some reservoir releases will be made directly to the river for downstream uses. Most of the releases, however, will be diverted into the Huntsman Canal and conveyed westward to West Divide Creek for subsequent distribution in the western portion of the project area by the East and West Divide Canals. The diverted flows will be supplemented by water stored in Haystack Reservoir on small tributaries of West Divide Creek. Natural flows at Haystack Reservoir will be aug- mented by flows of nearby streams diverted by feeder canal. Yank Creek Reservoir will be constructed on North Thompson Creek to meet project needs in the eastern portion of the project area. Releases from this reservoir will be distributed by the Fourmile Canal. Irrigation laterals will be constructed from the main project canal, and drains will be pro- vided as needed. Municipal and industrial water will be made available for sale in the Colorado River and in the West Divide and Fourmile Canals.