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<br />SMITH FORK
<br />
<br />Location:
<br />,South of the confluence of the Smith Fork and Gunnison
<br />Rivers.
<br />
<br />Sponsor: .
<br />City of Delta. Colorado,
<br />
<br />Primary Purpose of the Project
<br />To provide a'clean,'renewable, and inflation-proofelectric
<br />generation lO~rce.
<br />
<br />Secondary Benefits:
<br />Wa1er sources for mun-icipal and industrial us&.
<br />
<br />HIstory and Backgrounct
<br />The Delta hydroelectric project. known as the Smith Fork,
<br />was initiated In 1954 when the Clty,of Delta acquired,the
<br />necessary water rights to build the project.Slnce 1937 .
<br />when the City of Delta became a municipal electric utility.
<br />planning has been underway to Improve the eleclrlcal
<br />distribution and generation syst9ms of the City. In the late
<br />1960's. the Delta CIty Council began plannIng the Smith
<br />Fork Profectas lIIefuture power source for 1he City, In
<br />1974. the City .contracted W'1th consultants to, perform a
<br />riJconnalsanc:e'study ofth8'ProJectand to pnlp8re a
<br />preliminary pennl1 appllcatlon.to the then-Federal Power
<br />. Commission. In August 1977 the CIty (was Issued a
<br />;prellmlnary pemllt bythe.Federal. Energy Regulatory
<br />'Commlnion(F.E.R.C.) to begin the SllIdy _ry to
<br />icomplete the pie!lntlnarypem:l~~, due to,actlon
<br />!taiCenby .1he Depertment of the Interior under their
<br />,lntllrpretatlOllof the regulationuet farthunder, the Wild
<br />:.8nd Scenlc~ Act. the CIty_nOt been ",;I.1tted to
<br />'pursue-the ~ oulllnect.ln lIIep,.nm'!l8tYpemlit
<br />. ';"", "'.':- ~'I ,,'.:{;~(}-: \',' '~-;.:'f,l~' ',' :" ~,:"" ' ,:~~" " "-
<br />','1"->",_'-.,,-:. .'
<br />:'~:;;;"" ,~- "";,, ': 'V',f~'~~:!.
<br />
<br />PhysICal F8Cts and Figures:
<br />
<br />.
<br />Height. length and type of dam: Z75 feet high concrete
<br />arch dam: approximately 500 feet across .
<br />
<br />Storage capacity (A_F.) of reServoir. 20,000 acre-feet
<br />storage capacity
<br />
<br />Shoreline and surface area: not determined
<br />
<br />Average annual power generation: 35,5 megawatt
<br />capacity ",
<br />
<br />Population to be seMld: 15,000 to 20.000 peiople
<br />
<br />Irrigated acres to be served: NI A . .:.
<br />Estimated cost $80.000,000. inCluding tW.amlssion
<br />facilities .
<br />
<br />Construction SChedule: 1985-86 construction start date;
<br />comp~tionin1~89
<br />~. I\' ~ .
<br />
<br />PropOsed Sources of FUnding:
<br />
<br />The total capital requirements based on a scheduled 0n-
<br />line date of 1987 Is estimated at $80,000.000. The project
<br />will be financed through the issuance of revenue bonds
<br />secured by revenues derived from power sales In the City
<br />and to other electric distribution systems. The project will
<br />not be paid through any City taxes and projected electric
<br />rates are very favorable in terms of teday's costs, The City
<br />haa a contract with Soloman Brothers of New York for
<br />assistence in the financial aapeets of the project. .
<br />
<br />For Further InformaUon Contact
<br />Dennis M.'Klrtland; City Manager
<br />P,O. Box 19, Della, CO 81418 -','
<br />874-7568
<br />
<br />
<br />'~>~t'~Jii;~f':,;,~~ ;~~.
<br />. <WEST DIVIDE.'
<br />
<br />,'A";
<br />
<br />LocaUon: '. .' . .'.
<br />. .,
<br />WIBt-central ,Coloredo' prlmarlly In Garfield County,
<br />"South lIlde ofCokndo Rlverbetween townsofGtenwoed
<br />Springs and Grand Va!ley.
<br />
<br />Sponsor:
<br />
<br />West Divide Water Conservancy District .
<br />
<br />Primary Purpose of the Project
<br />
<br />Irrlgetion, municipal and rural domestic water.
<br />
<br />Secondary Benefits:
<br />
<br />Rsh and wildlife; recreation.
<br />
<br />History and Background:
<br />
<br />Settlers around the turn of the century soon discovered
<br />that diversions from area streams did not provide timely
<br />amounts of water. Annual streemflows varied widely and
<br />even in good years, late-season nows were often inade-
<br />quate, Storage, trans-basln diversions. or obtaining watar
<br />from the Colorado River, or a combination of these were
<br />needed to provide a firm water supply for the irrigation of
<br />,
<br />
<br />;."
<br />
<br />crops within the project area,
<br />
<br />In 1938, the Bureau of Reclamation began surveying the
<br />area to help develop storage and Improve conwyance
<br />systems, The Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act
<br />of 1956 gave the West DIvide Project participating project
<br />status and priority for report completion, The West Divide
<br />Water Conservancy District was formed In 1984 to serve as
<br />sponsor and contracting agency for the project.
<br />
<br />A feasibility report published In 1966 proposed a plan for
<br />developing Irrigation. municipal. and industrial water In
<br />the Crystal River drainage and along the Colorado River
<br />between Glenwood Springs and DeBeque, A significant
<br />feature of lIIis plan has the trans-basin diversion of water
<br />from Crystal River to the West Divide Area. In 1966,
<br />Congress authorized construction of the West Divide
<br />Project in response to the feasibility report. Following
<br />authorization, anticipated industrial water needs did not
<br />materialize and opposition developed to constructtng a
<br />reservoir on the Crystal River. For these reasons, the West
<br />Divide Water Conservancy District and the Bureau of
<br />Reclamation willi the help of a citizens committee,
<br />
<br />(Canr/nued on next page)
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