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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Recreation <br /> <br />The project will result in a number of recreation benefits for area <br />residents and for visitors to southwestern Colorado. The reservoirs - <br />McPhee, Monument Creek and Dawson Draw - will provide such.outdoor <br />recreation as hunting, fishing, boating, camping and picnicking. Rec- <br />reational opportunities at Totten Lake and Ground ~og ReserVoir will be <br />improved because their water surfaces will be stabilized when.the role <br />of storage for irrigation water is largely shifted to McPhee Reservoir. <br />The stream fishery in the river below McPhee Dam will be greatly <br />enhanced as a result of water releases made to maintain a year-round <br />live stream. The releases would be maintained at a minimum of 50 cubic <br />feet per second (cfs) during most years, but would be reduced to a <br />minimum of 20 cfs in dry years and increased to a minimum of 78 cfs in <br />wet years. Although white-water boating may be altered somewhat because <br />of project operations; good boating days would be grouped together and <br />accurately predicted in years when spring spills were forecasted. The <br />forecasted spring spills could be released from McPhee Dam to provide <br />opportunities for the use and enjoyment of white-water enthusiasts. <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON: Let's see if we can have some questions on the Dolores <br />project at this point. <br /> <br />MR. VANDEMOER: <br />the Indian land <br />area there? <br /> <br />Is there .areason for the three acre-feet of water on <br />as compared to the two acre-feet of water on the other <br /> <br />- <br />MR. COOK: Yes, there are two reasons, one of which is a rather long <br />canal, about forty-seven miles long. Also the elevation of the lands <br />on the Indian reservation is significantly lower than on the rest of <br />the project area. This is the difference. <br /> <br />MR. VANDEMOER: Will they have a conservancy district and work 'o~ <br />repayment the same as we do in other parts of the state or is this <br />different with the Indians involved? <br /> <br />MR. COOK.: Well. it's somewhat different under the authorization for <br />the proj~ct. The repayment of irrigation service on Indian land has <br />been deferred by the Congress as long as those lands remain in the <br />Indi~n ownership; They would enter into a repaymen~ contract directly <br />with the United States government; However. the terms of that contract <br />repayment would be deferred for the irrigation development as long as <br />those lands remain in Indian ownership; <br /> <br />MR. JACKSON: Tell me briefly about the mechanics and the economics of <br />your pressure system as opposed to simply a canal feature. <br /> <br />MR. COOK: We do have a small lift at the reservoir and then go into <br />an open canal. and that open canal goes to Dove Creek. ThE!Dwe pick up <br />out of that open canal at six pumping plants to pressurize the lateral <br />systems. We are looking to use the Colorado River Storage Project <br />power. This. of course, makes the cost of the energy much less than <br />if you are using local energy; It does provide significant benefits <br /> <br />-13- <br />