GunnisonComments02 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

@ Natural Energy Resources Company P. Oll Box 567 Palmer Lake, CO 80133 (719) 481N2003 Fax (719) 481R3452 RECEIVED SEP 3 0 2003 fJotorado Water Conservatron Board September 261 2003 Mayor Paul Tauer City of Aurora 1470 S. Havana Aurora, CO 80012 Mayor Lionel Rivera City of Colorado Springs P. O. Box 1576..1549 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Subject: Consideration of Union Park Multi-purpose Water Storage Project Dear Mayor Tauer and Mayor Rivera: As Colorado-s fastest growing large cities! Aurora and Colorado Springs should defer their water deveJo'pment plans, until an independent engineering assessment of Union ParkJs multiple advantages is considered by elected officials. Black and Veatch Engineers-Architects would be an ideal consulting firm to provide this assessment. During the early 19805, Black and Veatch helped conceive Union Park's unique, high storage, drought protection concept for both slopes. Jt also assisted with writing the 125 page Unjon Park Reconnaissance Evaluation Study, dated October 1986. Black and Veatch has an international reputation for objective water plannjng. It is also weJl versed with Colorado water needs and solutions. A preliminary sixty day engineering assessment 'would reveal the following fundamental advantages for Union Park stakeholders throughout both sides of the Divide: . Union Park's 1.2 milJion acre-feet of high. off-river Gunnison storage can save a four year suppJy of Colorado's undeveloped 300,000 acre-feet Aspinall Pool. This pool represents about a third of Colorado's unused Colorado River entitlements. These conserved wet year flood losses will then be available for frexible gravity distribution throughout the Gunnison, Colorado, Pfatte, Arkansas, and Rio Grande River Basins, when and where needed, during drought cyc[es; . Union Park's unique drought concept is more productive than five equaUy sized traditional river dams.. The refiabiHty~ utility, and quality of existing water supplies will be greatly increased throughout Colorado and the Southwestern Region, with Union Park; . The off-peak pumping costs to fill Union Park from the Bureau of Reclamation's existing Taylor Park and Blue Mesa Reservoirs wilJ be more than offset by revenues from Union Park's high value peaking power and standby drought protection ca'pabilities; . Union Park will only store Colorado's wasted Aspinall Pool development rights. These rights were authorized by Congress in 1957 for Gunnison Basin of origin growth needs (601000 acre-feet) and state-wide needs (240,000 acre-feet). Since 1957, Gunnison Basin consumptjve needs have declined more that 30%, because of its continuing conversion from irrigated farming to tourism. As a resultl CoJorado~s costly Gunnison losses to California have been increasing;