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<br />Present and Future Development <br /> <br />might be junior to the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit right. The aggregate amount of upstream <br />depletions for which the priority of the Wayne N. Aspinall right may be waived has not yet been <br />determined. <br /> <br />The authorizing legislation of the Colorado River Storage Project listed five projects in the <br />Upper Gunnison River Basin for priority of investigations: (1) Bostwick Park, (2) East River, <br />(3) Fruitland Mesa, (4) Ohio Creek, and (5) Tomichi Creek. The total depletion by these five <br />projects was estimated to be about 60,000 acre-feet annually, 40,000 acre-feet of which would be <br />depleted above Blue Mesa Dam. An additional 10,000 acre-feet would be depleted between <br />Morrow Point and Blue Mesa Dams, and another 10,000 acre-feet would be depleted between <br />Crystal and Morrow Point Dams. An increased upstream depletion of 60,000 acre-feet was <br />assumed in the operation studies for the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit in the determination of the water <br />supply available for power generation. <br /> <br />In 1973, Reclamation issued a concluding report on its Upper Gunnison Project investigations <br />which included the East River, Ohio Creek, and Tomichi Creek Units. Although it was concluded <br />that there was limited potential for Federal water resource development under existing evaluation <br />criteria and projected economic conditions, Reclamation still recognizes its commitment to allow <br />beneficial development of waters of the Upper Gunnison River Basin up to 60,000 acre-feet. <br />Excluding the existing 4,000-acre-foot depletion of the Bostwick Park Project, but assuming the <br />depletion of 21,000 acre-feet is realized on the Fruitland Mesa Project by 2040, there would be a <br />remainder of 39,000 acre-feet available for depletion. Somewhat arbitrary levels of development <br />were used for the period 1990 to 2010. <br /> <br />West Divide Project-A feasibility report was prepared in 1966, and the project was authorized <br />by Public Law 90-537 on September 30, 1968, as a participating project of the Colorado River <br />Storage Project. Advance planning studies have continued, and various plans have been <br />considered, but no large project is feasible, based upon current policies and procedures for <br />planning water and related land resources projects. Plans considered included a mix of water for <br />irrigation and municipal use. A draft concluding report summarizes available data and presents a <br />potential but currently infeasible plan with a 38~200-acre-foot depletion. For planning purposes, <br />an administrative decision was made by Reclamation to defer depletions until after 2040. <br />Subsequently, the West Divide Water Conservancy District has elected to pursue the construction <br />of Alsbury Dam, a 250 acre-foot reservoir on East Divide Creek. <br /> <br />Taylor Draw Reservoir Project-Taylor Draw Dam filled in 1984. Depletion values were <br />supplied by the Colorado River Water Conservation District. <br /> <br />Stagecoach Project and Yamcolo Project-The Stagecoach Project of the Upper Yampa Water <br />Conservancy District involved construction of a dam on the Yampa River near Steamboat Springs <br />and exchange agreements for water out of Yamcolo Reservoir. The project would supply about <br />4,000 acre-feet of water for irrigation, 1,000 acre-feet for municipal uses, and 9,000 acre-feet for <br />thermal powerplant uses. Depletion values for the irrigation and municipal components were <br />supplied by Reclamation. Depletion values for thermal powerplant uses are discussed under <br />Colorado Ute-Southwest Project. <br /> <br />33 <br />