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003277 j' j).t;1ii~ j;J~S" 4~~1" /<7f'v Instant replay: water District will study dam sites, again By TERESA SMITH store water for Craig and the likely to ever be built due to the Staff Writer vicinity, for recreational use and recovery program for endangered CRAIG - The Moffat County to help the ecOnomy.-' fish species in the upper Colorado Commissioners offered their BUP- The group originally hoped the River. port to a study that will be con. project would be used to store wa. Public input for the study is ducted by the Colorado River Wa- ter for municipal uses in Craig. needed and will be solicited ter Conservation District which However, with the city's acquisi- through a public advisory group. will search for a site to store water tion of Elkhead Reservoir, the mu. The group will be organized to of. for the City of Craig. nicipal needs for the city will be fer people the opportunity to con- The two-year, $300,000 study met. The reservoir is anticipated tribute their ideas during the de- will be funded by the Colorado Wa- to fulfill the city's municipal needs velopment of the study. Public ter Conservation District, The until at least the 2070s. meetings will be held in Craig to United States Bureau of Reclama- The group now hopes to find a present the study process and re- tion and the Colorado River Water suitable site for a water storage fa- ceive public comment. Conservation District. Each orga. cility off the mainstem of the Yam- According to Harris, any group nization will contribute $100,000 pa River to be used by the county who is interested in having a rep- to the study. and city for recreational uses in resentative on the Public Advisory An independent firm has been the future. Group should contact Eric Kuhn or hired to conduct the study, which Harris said the water project Harris at the Colorado River Wa- will determine the water needs in can also be used as a supplement ter Consen'ation District in Glen- the mainstem Yampa River Basin for municipal water to Elkhead. wood Springs at (303)945-8522. over the next 30 years. The goal of "We are looking at many years Moffat County's representativerthe study is, to identify water before the project will actually be on the water district's board is rights and storage facilities avail- constructed," Harris said. Dean Vistainer. able that will meet the future wa- The Colorado River Water Con- ter needs in the region. sen'ation District owns water According to Lee Harris, Public rights on the Yampa River associ- Affairs Consultant for Colorado ated with the proposed Juniper- r River Water Conservation District, Cross Mountain hydroelectric pro- "We want to build a project to ject. The proposed project is un-