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<br /> <br />SITE SELECTION PRESENTATION TO THE <br />SOUTH PLATTE STEERING COMMITTEE <br /> <br /> <br />February 1963 <br /> <br />The in-basin surface water supply far irrigatars in the <br />main stem Sauth Platte River Valley has been an erratic flaw. <br />For years irrigatars have felt a need for starage ta hold back <br />the high spring runaff until later in the irrigation season when <br />it is most needed. The rapid growth of metropolitan Denver, <br />transmountain diversions, and ground water pumping have contrib- <br />uted to a changed flaw pattern in the river. <br /> <br />Three studies have been made recently to examine the water <br />prablems and. conditions in the main stem valley. The Blue-Sauth <br />Platte Report completed in June 1948 envisianed a reservoir at <br />the Two Farks Site which wauld supply water ta the uppar basin <br />area above Kersey. The Narrows Definite Plan Report campleted <br />in 1951envisianed a reservair at the Narraws Site, appraximately <br />7 miles upstream from the City .of Fort Morgan. In June of 1959, <br />there was prepared a report on the Sauth Platte River Basin. <br />This report consalidated general infarmatian abaut plans, sites, <br />and investigatians as a permanent and canvenient recard. <br /> <br />The Narrows Unit was authorized by the Flood Control Acts <br />of 1944 and 1946. ~ 1951 the Bureau had spent about $l~ million <br />on plans far the Narrows Unit. In 1951 we completed a Definite <br />Plan Repart. Because the peaple in this valley did not, at that <br />time, want the project, we wrate a wrap-up report and in 1957 <br />laid the plans an the shelf. In recent years interest in the <br />project has increased. In 1958, the State of Colorado requested <br />that investigations be reactivated ta specifically reconsider all <br />other possibilities in main channel storage in itself or in <br />combination with off-channel sites. These studies were initiated <br />by USBR during F,( 1960. <br /> <br />The site consideratians were reduced to tWOj Narrows and <br />,Weld County. In 1961, we developed a site-selection report, based <br />purely an alternate costs .of structures at the two sites. The <br />Narrows Steering Cammittee, which was appointed to make recom-, <br />mendations to the Colorado Water Conservatian Board, wanted more <br />infarmation--particularly regarding the hydrolagical benefits ta <br />be deri ved from either site. This request seemed reasanable to ' <br />both the Water Board and the Bureau of Reclamation, s.o for a <br />year-and-a-half, we have studied every aspect of the valley's <br />water resaurce. <br /> <br />The purpose of this report is ta present the results and <br />canclusions .of these site selection studies. <br /> <br />1 <br />