BOARD02195

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

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actually being studied at that time, resulting
in the inclusion of more irrigated land than
would actually have been the case. Justin
Haynes made no estimate of the value of oil and
gas reserves in the Narrows Reservoir, though
for the upper reservoir they stated there were
no known reserves. There are some 46 producing
oil and gas wells in the Narrows area, and
these have reportedly not as yet been subjected
to secondary oil recovery procedures.

The studies have not considered the annual
farm income of the Weldon Valley area. This
annual farm income has been determined by the
farmers themselves to be ~3.8 million per year
from the land that would be inundated by the
Narrows Reservoir. This farm income does not
include the oil income.

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With the reports being favorable to the
Weld County site, the irrigators had hoped
that the Bureau of Reclamation would find the
Weld County site acceptable. Instead, the
Bureau concluded that a difference of some
~23,600,OOO now exists in favor the Narrows.

Time has not been available to review
the new criteria in detail and the costs used
by the Bureau. However, Woodward-Clyde-
Sherard and Associates reviewed the cost of
the dam embankments and concluded that some
~ll million could be trimmed from the differ-
ence. It should be pointed out that this
reduction was based on their reviewing only
the dam embankment, and none of the other
facilities or basic criteria. In addition,
Woodward-Clyde-Sherard stated that the Narrows
would be 'much more susceptible to reservoir
seepage and danger of instability than the
weld County site.'.

The irrigators believe that a review of
other aspects will bring the two estimates
closer into line. This would include review-
ing the cost of the railroad bridge over Box
Elder Creek and Lost Creek, and the reported