1006

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 1006
• Author: Resource Consultants, I.
• Title: Biological Assessment Green Mountain Reservoir Water Marketing Program.
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver.
• Copyright Material: NO

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of water dependent upon the reservoir and to provide an orderly means of
disposition of the remaining water in the reservoir for beneficial con-
sumptive uses in the geographic area of Colorado west of the Continental
Divide.

The operating policy noted that the reservoir has been in operation
since 1943. Since the commencement of operations, in all but above-

average years, rel ease of water has been made to meet irrigation and

domestic uses in western Colorado. Under Senate Document 80, the first

obligation of the reservoir in such a circumstance is to augment irriga-

tion and domestic uses existing in 1937 and, if stored water is
thereafter available for release, to augment all such subsequent similar
needs arising to the extent stored water therefore is available. The
release of approximately 66,000 acre-feet of water from storage to
supplement a natural flow shortage in western Colorado was necessary in

1977 .

Portions of several of the policy statements contained in the
December 22, 1983, notice that are particularly relevant to this EIS
supplement are extracted below:

Pol iC~ Statement 1. Green Mountain Reservoir has a total storage
capacity 0 153,639 acre-feet of water. Of that total capacity, 52,000
acre-feet are available to provide replacement water in western Colorado
when water is diverted to the eastern slope through the C-BT proj ect.
The yield from remaining capacity (commonly referred to as the 100,000
acre-foot power pool), including the refill right, will to the extent
feasibl e be rel eased through the power pl ant, and the water so rel eased
shall be available for other beneficial consumptive uses in western
Co 1 orado.

POliCl Statement 2. Water will be released from Green Mountain
Reservoir or western COlorado use from the 52,000 acre-foot C-BT repla-
cement pool to the extent necessary to replace C-BT diversions which
would otherwise be curtailed by a legal call on the river. When the
administration of water under the State of Colorado priority system
would result in curtailment of a water right for irrigation or domestic

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