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<br />291:) <br /> <br />iii <br /> <br />,> <br /> <br />effec~ on existing irrigation in the area or on future opportunity to increase <br />IiI storage in existing reservoirs and in new upstream reservoirs. The questions raised <br />were valid, and since that time the Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado 1,later <br />\ Conservation Board have cooperated in an attempt to bring about an ans'ler that <br />would be satisfactor;y- to both the proponents and the opponents of the p~oject. <br />On the other hand, a petition requesting immediate constr~ction of the clarrows <br />Dam waS presented some months ago to the Board s~gned by a number of individuals <br />in the Fort Morgan area. ' <br /> <br />The Narrows Unit would serve multiple purposes: (1) flood control, its <br />primaIY purpose; (2) conservation; and (3) of real importance, although perhaps <br />not of immediate concern, it would enable Horthe~,stern Colorado to make maximum <br />utilization by regulation of flows of water imported from the Colorado River. <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />lindeI' terms of the Colorado liiver Basin Compact, ,ony water brought into the <br />c,outh i'latte i\iver Basin must ultimately be used within the ,State. If: this is not <br />accomplished, difficulties will eventually arise with the six other basin states <br />of the Colorado River Basin. The Solicitor General in a decision concerning the <br />Colorado [(iver Compact held Colorado !liver water must be, used in t:1e respective <br />Colorado !liver Basin states. <br /> <br />Maximum use of wateris of concern to,the people in the bouth L'latte area <br />in Colorado because shortages frequently,occur. It is necessarJ that full utili- <br />zation be made of waters linported into that basin. This is only good economy. To <br />accomplish this purpose, reservoir storage in the vicinity of Fort Mol' can is re- <br />quired. <br /> <br />The broad aspects of the proposed 1;arrows must be considered and a determin- <br />ation must be made of how this project fits into the future water conservation pl~ns <br />of the btate. <br /> <br />II. The Bureau of !leclamation plan of develo~"e~t for the Narrows Unit was <br />presented by J. H. Knights. The talk "/as divided into +,!';e following subjects: <br />purpose, history, selection of location, altern"~e ~i":.es, plan of development, <br />acquisition of right-of-way, vlater rights (prcsent-:cut',ore), tax losses, flood <br />control, sediment control, method of operation, dis;,osal of yeater (interim-ultimate) <br />and surnmar:r of negative and positive be,nefits. "-ee atta~j;J1l8r,t J:o. 1 for resume. <br /> <br />III. R. J. Tipton's discussion of the i{arrovls plan at the hearings is sum- <br />marized in the followinG paragraphs: <br /> <br />~ The investigation of the damsite in this vicinity bv the U.S.B.R. started in <br />the late SUJJuner of 19h7 after general flclOds in the :iis~ouri River Basin had re- <br />sulted in authorization of the Narrows. Funds sufficient for the Bureau of Recla- <br />mation to initiate construction of the NarrovlS 0am were appropriated at this time. <br />The \iater Board i10 its early studies believed that a reservoir at the Fort'Horgan <br />site would flood much less productive irriGated l~nd. Other questions\~re raised <br />by irrigation interests as to the plan, of operation and the effect of the reservoir <br />on existing water rights, multi?le filling practices, and other related problems. <br />The Bureau, on the basis of preliminary investigations, had se:!ected th8 Narrows <br />site, considering the Fort worgan site undesirable because of ~roblems concerned <br />with the diversion of Bijou Creek ar~ seepage problems. The Bureau 'cooperated <br />wholeheartedly and brought 'data on the Fort Morgan damsite up to a basis comparable <br />