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<br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />721 State Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 60203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3441 <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />o <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br />David w. Walker <br />Director <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Members, CWCB <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />David Walker <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />September 13, 1991 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Agenda Item 4, September 19-20, 1991, Board Meeting-- <br />Owens Creek Reservoir - request for feasibility study support <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />An Owens Creek Reservoir Alternative was evaluated in the course of the <br />Board's reformulation of the West Divide Project and was judged infeasible at that <br />time since the water supply use was identified as agricultural. A group of <br />representatives from the Battlement Mesa, West Divide, and Ute water conservancy <br />districts has been considering development of the Owens Creek site for a dif(erent set <br />of purposes than the earlier investigations by the Board and the Bureau of <br />Reclamation. The current project envisions delivery of most of the water supply into <br />the Plateau Creek system rather than into the West Divide area. Some of the <br />potential supply would be retained for use in the West Divide area. The significant <br />change is potential municipal supply use by the Ute District which changes project <br />economics significantly. <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />The Grand Junction office of the Bureau of Reclamation has indicated a <br />willingness to conduct a feasibility study of the current proposal if there is significant <br />financial and technical assistance provided by project proponents. Consequently the <br />three districts have pledged financial and other contributions to the effort and have <br />obtained an informal commitment from the Colorado River Water Conservation <br />District for a significant fmancial contribution. Those interests are now asking for <br />$8,000 from the Board to supplement their commitments. <br /> <br />There are several significant potential roadblocks to successful pursuit of the <br />project. The most significant is the impact of increased consumptive use on the 15- <br />mile reach of endangered fish habitat. Further, allocation of the potential water <br />