BOARDSEP03

• Board Meeting Date: 9/22/2003
• Description: Petition to Enforce the Provisions of the Blue River Decree
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Other

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00D295

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COLORADO-BIG THOMPSON PROJECT

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and maintenance but the cost thereof shall not exceed $300,000; and
said system shall be provided and in operation before any water is
storeJ for transmountain diversion. In addition, the Secretary shall
protect, add to, or improve the source of supply of domestic waters
for the municipalities of Kremmling and Rot-Sulphur Springs in the
manner and to the extent which he may determine to be necessary to
provide a source of supply not less than that now available for these
municipalities. The cost of these features shall be included in the
total project cost.
(k) To compensate Grand County for the loss of t:1xes through the
transfer of property to the United States for the construction of this
project, $100,000 shall be paid to said Grand County. This payment
shall be made in 10 annual installments of $10,000 each, commencing
upon the date when 10 percent of the total property in Grand County
required for said project has been removed from taxation.
(l) The project and all of its features shall be operated in a manner
determined by the Secretary of the Interior as necessary to provide
the water to preserve at all times that section of the Colorado River
between the reservoir to be constructed near Granby and the mouth
of the Fraser River as a live stream, and also to insure an adequate
supply for irrigation, for sanitary purposes, for the preservation of
scenic attractions, and for the preservation of fish life. The deter-
mination of the need for and the amount and times of release of water
from Granby Reservoir. to accomplish these purposes shall be made
by the Secretary of the Interior, whose findings shall be :final.
In order to facilitate compliance with the stipulation in paragraphs
0), (k), and (l) hereof a representative may be selected and designated
by the interests dependent thereon in Grand County, Colo., and when
so designated he will be recognized as the official spokesman of said
interests in all matters dealing with project operations affecting Grand
County.
The principles and provisions 'expressed in . these stipulations have
been approved by the Western Colorado' Protective Association,
representing interests in western Colorado, and the Northern Colorado
Water Users Association as evidenced by the letters hereto attached.

SUMMARY

The Colorado-Big_.-Thompson project comprises 615,000 acres of
irrigated lands, out of approximately 800,000 acres lying under the
canal systems in the northern and northeastern portions of Colorado.
The water supply for the area is to be derived from a portion of 782
square miles of drainage area above Hot Sulphur Springs lying west
of the Continental Divide in Grand County, Colorado, and varying
in elevation from 8,050 to 14,000 feet.

HISTORY

The first irrigation in northeastern Colorado occurred about 1860
where the early settlers plowed out small ditches with sufficient grade
and length to irrigate a few acres of land in the :first bottom-i. e
lands not far above the high-water line of tbe streams and adjacent to
~em. .
The first irrigation of the higher or second bench lands along the
Cache La Poudre River was by the Old Union Colony, of Greeley, in