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000513 The largest use of HUP water is for irrigation in the Grand Valley during spring, summer and early fall . months. Irrigating generally ceases in late October or early November. BACKGROUND Ruedi Reservoir Ruedi Reservoir is part of Reclamation's Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in central Colorado. Water from the Fryingpan River (and other tributaries of the Roaring Fork River) on the west slope of the Rockies is diverted through the project to the Arkansas River on the east slope. Project purposes are irrigation, power generation, municipal and industrial water supplies, recreation, and fish and wildlife. Ruedi stores water for replacement of out-of-priority diversions by the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project West Slope Collection System and for West Slope uses and benefits (compensatory storage). The reservoir, located 15 miles east ofthe town of Basalt; was constructed in 1968. It has a total capacity of 102,373 AF. The compensatory storage in Ruedi was intended for the west slope. Reclamation instituted Round I and then Round II water sales in the 1980s to market water to west slope users. About 12,319 AF are currently under contract through these water sales. Green Mountain Reservoir Green Mountain Reservoir is part of Reclamation's Colorado-Big Thompson Project in central Colorado. Water from the Colorado River on the west slope of the Rockies is diverted through project facilities for use on the east slope. Project purposes are irrigation, power generation, municipal and industrial water supplies, and other uses. Green Mountain Reservoir, about 13 miles southeast of the town of Kremmling, was completed in 1943. It has a total capacity of 154,600 AF. To serve the priority users from the reservoir 'this year, Reclamation planned to use all the available 1.24,000 AF in the active conservation pool. This would have drawn the reservoir down to a point it last reached in 1963. Plans for the drawdown revealed that reports in 1963 (as well as later studies) found evidence of landslide risk if the reservoir were drawn below elevation 7880 feet, endangering homes, businesses, and other improvements on the west side of the reservoir. For this reason, Reclamation decided to limit water available from the reservoir, shorting the HlW beneficiaries this year. Reclamation had already declared a 100% shortage to water service contractors earlier this year because water was unavailable due to the drought. ISSUES Reclamation's Eastern Colorado Area Office in Loveland, Colorado, released the draft Ruedi Reservoir 2012 Agreement EA for comment in March 2002. From the mailing list developed for that EA, on July 19,2002, Reclamation solicited comments from interested parties on the proposed action (summarized in Chapter 4). Those who commented included the Service, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Town of Basalt, Roaring Fork Conservancy, and Ruedi Water and Power Authority. 3