BOARD01904

• Board Meeting Date: 8/8/1952
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

80

said that Mr. Bennett expressed the concern that if reduction in storage were
granted on the Gunnison River, we would be playing into the hands of those
opposed to Echo Park and opponents to Echo Park would request the same action.
After considerable discussion, he reported, it was decided that the Bureau
would make further studies, which. would include a study of the Crystal Unit
under Plan E and the possibility of two small dams instead of the proposed
Crystal unit. Director Stone then informed the Board that the Bureau had ad- I~'~._
vised him shortly after the first meeting that they had come to some conclu-
sions and wished to talk to us further before attempting to complete any of
the studies and indicated it might not be necessary to complete the studies
in order to go ahead. At the second meeting, held on July 11, the Director
reported, the Bureau announced that it. had concluded that the storage in the
Curecanti should be limited to a fi!;Ure of approximately 940,000 acre-feet.
However, he stated, the Bureau felt that the designation- in future comments
of the State of Colorado should not be on the basis of 940,000 acre-feet but
should be fixed by designation of a high-water line, and the figure suggested
for a high water line was 7520 feet. The Bureau, he said, will go along with
our plan for the Gunnison River if ~e make some of the adjustments suggested
by the Bureau.

Further discussion of the matter ensued.

Considerable discussion on the subject. of rereferring the matter to
the Policy and Review Committee followed.

It was moved by E. L. Dutcher and seconded by George A. Pughe
that in view of the new developments concerning the Curecanti and
Crystal Reservoirs, as brought out in the discussions between the
Water Board Director, engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation of-
ficials, this- matter be rereferred to the Policy and Review Committee
for their recommendation as to whether the Curecanti Reservoir should
be designated at 940,000 acre-feet or whether the Reservoir should be
fixed by the designation of a high water line at 7520 feet and for
the further purpose of recommending whether Crystal Reservoir should
be included among the units authorized for initial construction in
the Colorado River Storage Project and that the Committee be urged to
hold a meeting as quickly as possible and make its recommendations
to the Colorado Water Conserv~tion Board and that the rereferral to
the Policy and Review Committee be confined to the matters encompassed
by this motion.

On vote being taken, the motion carried unanimously and was
declared adopted.

E. L. Dutcher called attention to the fact that when the Policy and Re- I
view Committee was selected, it was determined that no member of the Colorado '
Water Conservation Board be a member of the Policy and Review Committee. Be-
cause of his recent appointment to the Board, he said, he is therefore sub-
mitting his resignation as a member of the Poliey and Review Committee. He
stated he would recommend that Craig A. Goodwin of Gtmnison be appointed to
the Committee in his place.