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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />'I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Located outside of the powerhouse would be a substation which <br />transforms facility power to 115 kV for transmission and interconnection <br />with the local grid. The new transmission line would be three phase, <br />constructed on overhead poles, and would run approximately two miles <br />northwest to the existing North Mesa Substation. <br /> <br />After leaving the powerhouse, flows diverted from the South Canal would <br />enter the Uncompah9re River through an excavated tailrace channel. This <br />channel would be protected against scour and erosion by use of rip-rap and <br />channel lining, where necessary. The total len9th of the channel is <br />approximately 2,000', and it enters the river upstream from the Selig Canal <br />Diversion Dam. <br /> <br />Flows entering the South Canal currently range from zero during the. <br />winter months to over 1,000 cfs during peak irrigation months. Operation of <br />the facility would reduce the flows in the canal by diverting the demands <br />from the Sel i9, Ironstone,. East and Garnet Canal s through the turbines <br />rather than the South Canal. The actual amount of flow diverted to the <br />facility would be determined on a daily basis and would depend upon the <br />amount of water available in the Uncompah9re River as well as the demands of <br />the Montrose and Delta and Loutzenhiser Canals. Irrigation requirements <br />would be served prior to meeting power demands. <br /> <br />Three development alternatives call for increased diversions from the <br />Gunnison River up to the capacity of the Gunnison Tunnel (estimated to be <br />1,135 cfs), and one alternative calls for increasing the capacity of the <br />Tunnel to 1,300 cfs. These diversions, which would be subject to water <br />availability and minimum flow requirements on the Gunnison, would continue <br />through much of the winter season, resultin9 in facility operation on a <br />year-round basis. However, a two to three-week period would be reserved <br />annually for facility and Tunnel maintenance. This period would be <br />scheduled to coincide with planned maintenance at the Crystal Dam hydro <br />plant to preserve continuity in river flows. <br /> <br />1.3 Planned ooeratinq criteria <br /> <br />The facil ity would operate in accordance with current Colorado water <br />law, and would divert flows from the Gunnison River and South Canal only <br />after senior water rights downstream have been met. The facility would also <br />utilize the diverted flows when such diversions are not required to meet <br />i rrigat i on demands from UVRP canal arid 1 ateral systems; Di versions woul d <br />not be made for power generation when such diversions would aggravate <br />flooding conditions on the Uncompahgre River. Finally, the facility would <br />not divert flows from the Gunnison River when such diversions would result <br />in lowering the instantaneous flow in that river below the point of <br />diversion to less than 300 cubic feet per second. <br /> <br />1.4 Facilitv alternatives <br /> <br />Previ ous . invest i gat ions conducted by the Sponsors and others have <br />considered a number of development alternatives using the AB Lateral and the <br />South Canal as the primary water supply system. Changing conditions have <br /> <br />- 1.2 - <br /> <br />1) <br /> <br />JJ <br /> <br />IjjJ <br /> <br />-,_.::::;:~",~,;4 <br />