SouthPlatteComments14

• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Comments 14
• Date: 2/2/2004
• SWSI - Doc Type: Comments

Union Park Hiah Altitude Pumped~Storaae Proposal

Mvth Since EPA vetoed Two Forks Dam, a few influential local and CDNR leaders
have claimed Union Park's high1 off-river, storage project is another destructive east slope
water grab, with no redeeming economic or environmental values4

Reality Union Park is an unprecedented, mu!ti-purpose water and power project that
can provide fow-cost drought and growth needs for urban, rural, and environmentaJ
stakeholders throughout Cororado's Gunnison, Colorado, South Platte, Arkansas, and Rio
Grande River Basins. During wet years, Union Park's reversibJe pump-generators will fill
Union Park from the Bureau of RecJamation's existing Taylor Park and Brue Mesa
Reservoirs. These conserved frood waters will then be available for flexible gravity
distribution, when and where needed, during the destructjve and variable multi-year droughts.

The Bureau's unused 300tOOO acre-feet Aspinall Pool was authorized by Congress in 1957
for subsequent purchase and development by Upper Gunnison and Colorado stakeholders
for statewide needs4 Union Park can store up to 1.2 milHon acre-feet of Colorado's unused
and overlooked AspinalJ Pool water rights. This storage wHI assure at least four years of
extremely valuable drought and gro\NI:h insurance for both slopes. Colorado's currentJy
untapped Upper Gunnison Basin of origin would receive 240,000 acre-feet of free
compensatory storage to protect and enhance its irrigated farms and recreation economy.
The pumped-storage power costs to firJ Union, Park during Jow demand spring runoff months
wiH be off-set by the project's high varue peaking power revenues from the Western power
grid during the high energy-consu~jng summer, faU, and winter months.

Union Park is potentially the world's most productive water conservation and management
system. This pilot pumped-storage project for responsive, high qualitYJ water and power
supplies throughout five major river basins is unique throughout the West. Most traditional
Western river dams were built with maximum 2 to 1 benefit-cost expectations. Animas-La
prattajs current benefit-cost ratio is only about 1 to 1. Union Park's multi-purpose capabilitjes
for five Southwestern river basins creates benefjt-cost expectations in the 10 to 1 range.

Union Park's off..river storage site also avoids the serious environmental problems associated
with traditional Western river dams. When Union Park's construction bonds (four phases
totaling about 2.5 billion doUars) are repaid, Colorado and Southwestern cities, farms, and
environments will have nearly free water and power supplies throughout the new millennium4

All Colorado stakeholders should immediatery unite behind an emergency program to
develop Colorado's Union, Park and Gunnison water oversights for statewide drought and
growth needs.

Dave Miller ~
Independent Water PJanner
P. O~ Box 567, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
[phone], Fax [phone]