WSPP00139

• File Number: 8200.300.40.A
• Description: Colorado River Basin-Colorado River Basin Legislation/Law-Compacts-Colorado River Compact
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1981
• Title: Colorado River Compact-Synopsis of Major Documents-Colorado Water-Key to Tomorrows Quality of Life
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

NARROWS

Location:

On the South Platte River - about seven miles west of Fort
Morgan. about 70ai, miles northeast of Denver, Colorado.

Sponsors:

lower South PlaUe Waler Conservancy District; Central
Colorado Water Conservancy District; State 01 Colo_ _
Colo. Water Conservation Board; State of Colorado
Division 01 Wildlife; Slale 01 Colorado Division of Parks
and Outdoor Recreation.

Primary Purpose 01 the Project
-
Water supply - irrigation. and municipal and industrial.

Secondary Benefits:
Recreation - Fish & Wildlife - Flood Control.

History and Background:

The need IOf a dam and reservoir on the South Platte in
northeastern Colorado has been discussed since 1905 _
or before.

The Narrows Unit was originally authorized as part of
Missouri River Basin Project (now the Pick-Sloan Missouri
Basin Program) by the Flood Conlrol Act 1944, as
amended. Under the original authorization, preconstruc.
tion activities began in 1947 and a "definite plan report"
was prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1951.

Six alternative locations for the dam site were considered
in the report. In downstream order. these included
locations as HardIn, GOodrich, Weldona, Narrows. Fort
Morgan. and Old Fort Morgan. Due to lack of OffiCial
support by the State of Colorado, however, all activity on
the prOject ceased follOWing issuance of the report in
1951.

In 1958, a group of reSIdents from the South Platte Valley
appeared before the COlorado Water Conservation Board
and requested that studies be reinitiated. Many of the
farmers petitioning lhe Board had not hadsuHicientwater
since the severe drought of the mid-1950's - and were
eager to obtain additional water for their crops. The Board
subsequently approved the request and the Bureau
resumed studies of the project. At this stage, proposed
sites for a dam and reservoir hadessenhally been reduced
to two - the Narrows and Hardin.

In 1964 - the Colorado Water Conservation Board hired

several independent firms to conduct studies 01 the two
sites. Those results again concluded Narrows was the
most desirable location lor the project and the Board
olficially gave its approval.

In August, 1964. Congress passed legislation requiring
reauthorization of all projects in the Missouri River Basin
on which construction had nol vet started.

In 1970, Congress again authorized construction of
Narrows project, but by then the price had increased to
$681 million. Design Changes lor added floOd control and
inflation pushed it to the eslimate of $139 million, based on
July 1975 figures.

Comparative costs at the Hardin site increased even more
dramatically and were estimated in July 1975 to be more
Ihan $100 million higher than at the Narrows site.

Physical Facts and Figures:

Height, length and type 01 dam:

Type earth lilt
Height above streambed 147 feet
Crest length 4.2 miles
Crest width 30 feet
Crest elevation 4,454 feet
Volume of embankment 8.8 million cU.yds.
Service spillway cap. 78.660 cu. ft. per sec.
Emergency spillway cap. 155,830 cu. It. per sec.
River outlet works cap. 4.800 cu. It. per sec.
Fort Morgan Canal
outlet capaCity 350 cu. It. per sec.

Storage capaCity (A,F.) of reservoir:

Storage for conservation
(top of jOint use) 498.000 ac. ft.
Storage - total volume
(max. water level) 1,609.000ac. ft.

Shoreline and surface area:

Surface area (top of
}oint use) 15.000 ac. ft.
Surface area (Mall
water level) 40.813 acres
Shoreline length (top of
joint use) 40 miles

(ContmutKJ on ned pag8)

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