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<br />[1'18'".\ <br />~..... 1;.. _~ <br /> <br />export demands being made by the east slope interests in the South Platte <br />River basin. Presently, approximately 340,000 acre-feet (419 x l06 x m3) of' <br />water is annually exported from the western slope (Colorado River basin) via. <br /> <br />an impressive network of diversion works, reservoirs, tunnels, and ditches to <br /> <br />the South Platte River basin. Export of an additional 300,000 acre-feet <br />6' 3 <br />(370 x 10 x m ) is planned. The western slope interest unit views this as <br /> <br />a threat to,future economic development, the environment, and Colorado River <br /> <br />salinity cO!'!trol. Although the western slope unit may be an uneasy union of <br /> <br />diverse interests, it is their common goal to prevent additional diversion of <br /> <br />vest slope 1iaters to the South Platte River basin. This uneasy union of westilrn <br /> <br />slope inter~sts has placed a giant question mark on the diversion of additional <br />western slope waters. <br /> <br />The main IZontenders for additional western slope waters are the east slope 0 <br /> <br />urban interests. One of the more important contenders is the Penver Water <br /> <br />Board vhich ~s the maJor water supplier for the Denver metropolitan area. The' <br />. 6 3 <br />Board's conditional water right claim for 250,000 acre-feet (308 x 10 x m ) of <br /> <br />additional v,st slope water is presently being effectively contested by western <br /> <br /> <br />slope intere$ts. Proposed proJects such as the Two Forks Reservoir, the Eagle~ <br /> <br />Piney divers~on system, and the Foothills treatment facility are directly <br />affected by ~he outcome of this issue. Other cODllllunities along the Front <br /> <br />Range urban corridor have been at least partially relying on the purchase <br /> <br />of agricultur,u. water rights to meet future demands. Many of these <br /> <br />communities receive a substantial part of their water supply tram the <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado Big ~ompson ProJect. A proposed proJect named the Windy Gap ProJect <br /> <br /> <br />sponsored by the Northern Colorado Conservancy District would supply approxi- <br /> <br /> <br />mately 58,000iadditional acre-feet (72 x 106 x m3) of western slope <br /> <br /> <br />water for co~nities already receiVing Colorado Big Thompson project water. <br /> <br />19 <br /> <br /> <br />'.' <br /> <br />.!.\ <br /> <br />{,. -~ <br /> <br />,',,"'Mio,"'~'J..~ <br /> <br />-. ^ . -~ '-.- -..-"~ <br />