BOARD02195

• Board Meeting Date: 9/12/1964
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

I

It is an absolute fact, that production
of the Weldon Valley area, over that of lands
at the Weld County site in a 50-year period,
would more than three times pay the construc-
tion cost difference estimated by the Bureau
of Reclamation between the two sites and with
a more realistic difference, such as has been
shown, it would many times over pay such
difference.

Any advantage gained by a dam at the
Narrows site for Riverside Irrigation System
is indeed debatable. If water were delivered
to this system it would incur an additional
pumping construction cost of $2 million,
according to the Bureau of Reclamation, and
an annual energy cost of $90,000. Project
this figure 50 years and an energy cost of
$4,500,000 is attained. Weldon Valley area
and 4,000 acres of Riverside Irrigation Dis-
trict would be taken out of production. Bijou
Irrigation District would receive no benefits.
A dam at Weld County site would furnish water
to the entire Riverside Irrigation system by
gravity flow, Weldon Valley area would remain
in production and along with Bijou Irrigation
District receive needed additional water.
surely the additional benefits to be derived
for 55,000 acres of land from a dam at the
upper site warrants the higher construction
cost.

I

In locating a dam for channel storage to
serve 170,000 acres of land, that need addi-
tional irrigation water, is there not a dam
site that will satisfy this need? Just because
Narrows is a good damsite does it justify its
construction? A dam at the Weld County site
would furnish water for the area extending
from Hardin east to the state line. This is
the kind of a dam that we want and will sup-
port.

The weldon Valley Ditch Company has offered
to pay its fair share of the additional cost
between the two sites, if any. We need and
want additional water supplies and still stand