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Gunnison River <br />The Gunnison River originates in west central Colorado at the junction of the East and Taylor <br />Rivers in Gunnison County. From there, it flows 25 miles into Blue Mesa Reservoir, one of <br />three reservoirs comprising the Aspinall Unit. Downstream from the reservoirs, the river flows <br />approximately 110 miles to its confluence with the Colorado River at Grand Junction. <br />The Redlands Diversion Dam is a privately owned and operated structure located on the <br />Gunnison River 2.3 miles upstream from the confluence with the Colorado River (Frontispiece <br />Map). The Redlands Water and Power Company (RWPC) constructed the diversion dam in <br />1918 and has since modernized and upgraded it. The concrete dam is 8.5 feet high and consists <br />of a 312 -foot -long spillway with a 6- foot -wide crest and two 10 -foot -wide by 6 -foot -high sluice <br />gates. A flow of 750 cubic feet per second (cfs) is diverted through four 14 -foot -wide headgates <br />on the west side into the Redlands Canal. This flow is used for irrigation water and <br />hydroelectric power generation. In 1983, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) <br />exempted the Redlands Water and Power Company from licensing under FERC regulations. <br />This exemption required that fish passage be allowed around the dam. <br />Related Projects <br />Many existing water projects and related activities are in place and new developments are being <br />considered for the Gunnison River Basin. There are more than 5,000 direct diversion decrees <br />presently in use on the Gunnison River. In addition to water rights for these direct diversions, <br />there are water storage rights; with the largest single developed storage right being the 939,206 <br />acre -foot decree (plus a refill decree of 122, 702 acre -feet) for Blue Mesa Reservoir of the <br />Aspinall Unit. Major existing projects upstream from the Redlands Diversion Dam site include: <br />the Uncompahgre Project which diverts over 300,000 acre -feet of water from the Gunnison <br />River for irrigation and the Aspinall Unit which stores water in Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and <br />Crystal Reservoirs for conservation and beneficial use, flood control, fish and wildlife, <br />recreation, and hydropower. Smaller Reclamation projects include the Paonia, Smith Fork, <br />Dallas Creek, Bostwick Park, and Fruitgrowers Projects. Projects such as the Uncompahgre <br />Project and the Redlands Diversion Dam have very senior water rights. <br />Over the last decade, several new projects have been considered on the river that could be <br />developed for hydropower, transmountain diversion, or water supply. These include the Rocky <br />Point and Union Park Projects in the upper reaches; the AB Lateral Project near Montrose; and <br />the Dominguez Project located between Delta and Grand Junction. Of these, the AB Lateral <br />Project is the only one that has progressed to the stage of filing a draft and final environmental <br />impact statement. Presently, the Dominguez Project, which would be developed for hydropower <br />and water storage, has applied for a preliminary study permit through FERC. In 1992, the <br />Department of Interior submitted comments on the study permit and cited significant concerns <br />with endangered species, wilderness, cultural resources, recreation and aesthetics, and other <br />issues. <br />3 <br />