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-27- THE HI:;NRYLYN IRRIGl..rION DI::,TRICT HUD~ON, COLOltADO STATKfENT OF TH.'; OFFICliliS OF Tllli HENRYLYlJ n"UGATION DISTRICT PRE:;El1TED IN BEHI\.LF OF TnB WAT.1:. u::iGi,::; :;:i'[ THE DI::;TRICT . Re: Narrovls Reservoir . The lIer.ryl:,'n Irri[;ation District desires to make this statement with ref- erence to construction of the Harrows Unit of the ;,:issouri iliver Basin Project. As a Flood control dam, if the Government ~ngineers have found it to be properly located, we approve and endorse its construction. A Flood control reservoir, properly operated, can control all river flovlS whether from floods or return flow to give the breatest benefit to existing and new appropriators of water out of the :'outh r'latte River in Colorado, below the proposed Narrows Dam Site. ~uch a flood control reservoir can be operated with- out any Court decree. As a multiple purpose dam, we cannot approve and desire to vieorously oppose its construction. It is not properly located to be used as a conservation basin. It does not especially provide great benefits for al'.y section of the ::;tate of Colorado and will actually be detrimental to the Water Users in the upper reaches of the ::iouth Platte River and its Eributaries. lie believe that final consideration of this matter should he delayed until the basin wide survey is completed to enable all water users to determine if this is the prop" r location for a flood control reservoir and conservat-.Lon basin of this capacity. Vie desire to urge the construction of reser'[c......"S nearer the headwaters of the South Ratte River and its tributaries. If the Colorado Water Conservation Board concludes that the construction of the ;larrows Dam should be approved for use as a multiple purpose reservoir, then we ask that such approval be rdthheld until an agreement is reached with the ~ureau of Recldmation of the United Stater of America which embodies the follow- wg: I. Com~lete recognition of not only decreed priorities for refill of all reservoirs in the ::'outh datte River basin, but also, complete recognition of vested rights to refill reservoirs in accordance with past usage. 2. If an adjudication of water rights is sought or any legal action insti- tuted to obtain a Court Decree defining the right to store water in the reser- voir, that such Court decree granting rights to store "later in the NarroVls Dam shall specifically protect all upstrea~s storage rights whether already con- structed or to be constructed in the future.