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<br />Policy Statement 6. Agreements may be consummated with water users in <br />the geographic area of the Colorado River Basin. The water may be used in <br />accordance with Colorado State law directly, by exchange, or by augmentation <br />of water development to enable water to be beneficially used in western <br />Colorado. Any agreements for such use shall be referred to the State <br />Engineer for review as to administration feasibility prior to execution. <br />Such water service agreements shall be provided to the Division Engineer of <br />the State of Colorado for administration of releases and deliveries. <br /> <br />Policy Statement 8. In order that no waste of water results from <br />unnecessary storage, and in order to maximize the beneficial use of water <br />stored in Green Mountain Reservoir, the Regional Director, Lower Missouri <br />Region will determine on a yearly basis the anticipated amount and uses of <br />stored water reasonably necessary to meet the stated objectives of the <br />operating policy. Any stored water in excess of this may be disposed of on <br />an interim basis by contractual agreement. <br /> <br />POlicy Statement 9. Revenues resulting from any agreements provided <br />for in the operating policy will be credited to the operation and maintenance <br />costs of Green Mountain Dam and Reservoir, to power replacement, and to <br />appropriate project coata. <br /> <br />It should be noted that the operating policy provides specific <br />definitions for the potential uses of Green Mountain water. Under these <br />definitions,snowmaking is classed as an industrial use. In addition, the <br />Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Missouri Region has classified the use of <br />water for golf course irrigati~n as an industrial use unless such water is <br />derived from a municipal or quasi-municipal treatment facility. If water <br />is derived through a treatment facility, the use would be classed as <br />municipal. <br /> <br />The references cited and extracted above provide the legislative basis <br />for water sales contracts from Green Mountain Reservoir. To date only <br />interim water sales contracts for Green Mountain water have been negotiated. <br />The Bureau of Reclamation considered the public interest in such sales <br />significant enough to warrant environmental analysis of alternative sales <br />procedures. <br /> <br />The decision was made by the Bureau to proceed directly to an EIS <br />without a preliminary environmental assessment, and to issue a Supplement <br />to the Final Environmental Statement for the COlorado-Big Thompson, Windy <br />Gap Projects (USBR, 1981). The analysis of alternative water sales <br />procedures in the Supplement were prepared in compliance with the National <br /> <br />1-10 <br />