FLOOD03331

• County: Gunnison
• Community: Uncompahgre Valley
• Basin: Gunnison
• Title: Uncompahgre Valley Reclamation Project - Hydropower - Part 3 - Environmental Impact Statement DRAFT
• Date: 4/19/1989
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

SUMMARY

The purpose of this environmental impact statement is to present
the environmental impacts that would occur if any of the
alternatives of the AB Lateral Hydropower Facility were
constructed and operated. The facility would be funded, built,
and operated by the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association
(UVWUA) and Montrose Partners (referred to as the "Sponsors").
These groups plan to construct the facility using existing
features of the uncompahgre Valley Reclamation Project (UVRP), a
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) irrigation project. They are
seeking a lease of power privilege (contract) with Reclamation
that would permit using facilities of the UVRP. Hydropower
development in association with the UVRP was authorized by the
Act of June 22, 1938 (Public Law 76-698, Stat. 941).

The purpose of the facility, located in Montrose County,
Colorado, is to economically develop the energy potential of
water flows from the Gunnison River through the Gunnison Tunnel
to the Uncompahgre River. The large difference in elevations
between the Gunnison Tunnel and'the Uncompahgre River creates the
potential for hydropower production. Power from the proposed
facility would be sold to local utilities; for the first 15 years
of project operation, capacity and energy would be sold to the
Public Service Company of Colorado. After that period, a
different power sales agreement would be arranged.

The developers cite the following needs for the proposed
hydropower facility: (1)' generating electrical power;
(2) developing a renewable resource; (3) improving the existing
irrigation system of the UVRP; and (4) enhancing the UVWUA's
revenues for debt retirement and system improvement.

Alternatives

The alternatives in the environmental impact statement involve
generating hydroelectric power using flows diverted from the
Gunnison River and the elevation difference between the West
Portal of the Gunnison Tunnel and the Uncompahgre River in
Montrose~ A portion of the flows that would be diverted would
also be used to meet UVRP irrigation needs; the remaining flows
would be diverted for power generation. Four economically
feasible alternatives (designated alternatives B, C, E, and F)
are presented in the environmental statement along with
descriptions of plans that were studied but found infeasible.
Alternative A is the no-action alternative.

S - 1