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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Fact Sheet: UNION PARK RESERVOIR PROJECT <br /> <br />UNION PARK RESERVOIR PROJECT The Union Park <br />Reservoir Project 'Union Park" is a proposed water storage project <br />located in the Upper Gunnison River basin. The project proponent is <br />Arapahoe County, which is one of the fastest growing counties in the <br />country. <br /> <br />The Upper Gunnison River basin curremly bas average annual <br />outflows of approximately 500,000 acre feet after all eltisting uses. <br />The flows in the Gunnison Basin continue to grow until its confluence <br />with the Colorado River near Grand Junction, where an average of <br />1.8 million acre feet flow out of the basin annually. <br /> <br />Union Park is projected to divert an average of between 100,000 <br />and 150,000 acre feet per year, or approximately 7% of the average <br />annual outflows from the basin. The water would be stored in a <br />900,000 acre foot off stream reservoir and water could be physically . <br />made available to both the Eastern Slope and the Western Slope. <br />(See map on reverse side.) <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Union Park would divert water to storage under its own junior <br />priorities primarily during the spring runoff, It would divert very Iitt\ <br />water in the drier months and in dry years_ However, it wOuld store <br />but substantial amounts of water in wet years which would be carried <br />over in the large off-stream reservoir. <br /> <br />For these reasOIlS, Union Park would not require the dry up of any <br />agricu1tural1ands. In addition, it would place a portion of Colorado's <br />rern.ining entitlement under the Colorado River Compact to beneficial <br />use in Colorado_ <br /> <br />Due to. its location and size, Union Park would guarantee <br />permanent stream flows on the West Slope regardless of the physical <br />water availability in any given year. Arapahoe County bas also <br />stipulated with CWCB to recognize both junior and senior instream <br />flow water rights. <br /> <br />CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT Union Park currently <br />bas a conditional decree for 325,000 acre feet fur hydropower <br />puxposes. That decree specifies the guaranteed scream flows <br />referenced above_ <br /> <br />The application to enlarge the reservoir for multiple purposes bas <br />been in litigation for more tban 10 years. The Colorado Supreme <br />[OVER] <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />PROTECT WATER <br />. ~ I \ ISOWlCB <br />I I . j I j j I <br />..\ .,11 <br /> <br />~~ <br />- - =<< <br /> <br />As Colorado continues to grow, <br />its communities and economy <br />place greater demand upon <br />avoiloble water supplies. <br /> <br />AcquisitWn of adequate <br />renewable water supplies is <br />increasingly important to those <br />regions of the stote which rely <br />on non-tribuJary groundwater. <br /> <br />The development of renewable <br />water supplies without the dry <br />up of agrialiurallimds is <br />importimt tIJ Colorado's <br />diversity. <br /> <br />The full use of Colorado's <br />entiJlements wuleT the Colorado <br />River Compact is essentiol to <br />rile state's weU being. <br /> <br />Colorado must maintain control <br />of its water resources for the <br />appropriatibn and use by its <br />citizens. <br />