PUB00079

• Year: 1981
• Title: Colorado Water: Key to Tomorrow's Quality of Life
• CWCB Section: Water Conservation & Drought Planning
• Author: 20 of and for Wester
• Description: Overview of 23 Colorado water projects
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

.JUNIPER-CROSS MOUNTAIN

Location:
West of Craig on the Vampa River in Northwest Colorado.
Sponsor:
Colorado River Water Conservation 9istrict,

Primary Purpose of the Project
Hydroelectric Power Generation.

Secondary Benefits:

Conservation of water for municipal. industrial.
agricultural and recreational use.

History and Background:

The first of several subsequent withdrawals and federal
powersite.-,MlS leading up to what is nowtheJuniper-.
Cross Mountain project was made in 1905, The Colorado
River Water Conservation District began studying the
project in 1959 and later received conditional water
decrees. A license ~ppllcation was submitted to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in January. 1980.
As designed. the project consists of Juniper Dam. a peak
power facitity. and Cross Mountain Dam, are-regulating
Instanation. Nine river miles separate the upstream .end of
Cross Mountain reservoir and Juniper Dam. As designed,
the project is sufficiently feasible to provide more than $1
million In recreation features and more than $3 million in
environmenlal enhancement and mitigation, while paying
for itself with power revenues, Average power production
is equivalent to 600,000 barrels of oil per year, Besides
providing water for municipal, industrial and agricultural
purposes, in specific cases. the project's water supply can
be used to satisfy any potential call on Colorado by lower
basin states under the Colorado River Compact and most
signifIcantly. can be used to ease the competition for
water between the rapidly developing energy industry and
the more economically limited agricultural industry.
Northwest Colorado contains massive coal. oil and oil
shale deposits now in varying stages leading to intensive
development. Total water consumption in Western
Colorado from all uses ranging from energy development
to environmental enhancement is expected to increese by
500,000 acre-feet by the year 2000, The lower elevation,
longer more gradual shoreline; larger size and warmer

,
waters of the project will make,it a mecca for winter and
. summer outdoor recreation. Ultimately. 5OO.000recrea-
tion man days per year are expected with some40 percent
of thet due to what is designed as excellent sport fisheries.
Marinas and a self-guiding interpretive centerare planned
for the project The project is expected to have a posItive
effect on fishes listed as endangered or threatened by
governmental agencies,
Physical Facts and FIgures:
Height. length and type of darn: Juniper: 220 feet higb.
760 feet long, rockfill dam with central impervious core;
Cross: 260 feet high. 38S feet long. concrete arch dam,
Storage capacity (A.F.) of reservoir: Juniper - 1.082.-
000 acre-feel Cross - 208,OQO acre-feet
Shoreline and surface area: JunIper -' 15.500 aCres and
114 miles of shoreline, Cross -6.280 acres and 65 miles
of shoreline. .
Average annual power generation: Juniper-l58,500.-
000 kilowatt hours of peak power, Cross -190.400.000
kilowatt hours of baseload, '
Population to be served: 175.000 people In Northwest
and West Central Colorado
Irrigated aCreS to be served: 14,000 net acres of full
service direct potential and more by exchange, .
Estimated cost. $172.000,000
Construction schedule: Licensing anticipated in
January 1982; begin filling Juniper, April ~983; begin
limng Cross. December 1984.
Proposed Sources of Funding:
Project will be financed by revenue bonds, which will be
repaid entirely from revenues from sale of project power.
There are no state or federal tax monies involved.

For Further Information Contact
Roland C. FiscQar; Secretary-Engineer
Colorado River Water Conservation District,
P,O. Box 1120. Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
945-8522

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