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!I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I interests, A report on the first study, which was conducted by Western Engineers, Inc, of Grand Junction, was published in 1983, PRC Engineering, Inc, of Denver submits this report on the second study, The titles, dates and description of reports and studies mentioned previously follow: A, Grand Mesa Project, Colorado, Concluding Report, prepared by the USBR, Upper Colorado Region, Salt Lake City, September 1973. This document offered a plan to store surplus water in a new reservoir to be located at Electric Mountain in the Muddy Creek basin and to convey the water via a new Grand Mesa canal to a proposed reservoir at Cactus Park, The latter reservoir, according to the plan offered in the report, would also impound water originating within the Tongue Creek basin. B. Planning Report on the Grand Mesa Project, Colorado, prepared by the USBR, Upper Colorado Region, May 1982, This document presented 22 alternative plans for improved irrigation in the Tongue Creek basin, with and without diversion of surplus water from other basins. One of the plans included enlargement of the existing Fruitgrowers Reservoir. However, based on estimated costs in 1981 prices and expected benefits, none of the alternative plans were considered to be economically feasible. C. Grand Mesa Project Feasibility Study, prepared by Western Engineers, Inc, of Grand Junction for the CWCB and GMWCD, April 1983, This report recommended a reservoir to be located at Cactus Park which would have 20,000 acre-feet of capacity for storage of water originating within the Tongue Creek basin. Although primarily for irrigation, the proposed project would include a small hydropower plant and improvements for recreation in the headwaters area, Based on estimated costs of $15,6 million and expected benefits from improved irrigation, generation of power, recreation and municipal water supply, Western Engineers calculated that benefits would exceed costs by a ratio of 1,9 to 1.0 and recommended further studies leading to eventual design and construction of the project, Section 5: Problems and Needs Since the preliminary plan was offered by the USBR in a 1946 report entitled The Colorado River, the basic theme in all of the studies for possible irrigation improvements has been that agriculture in the Tongue Creek basin would be more productive and more profitable if additional water was available, Problems and needs of farmers, fruitgrowers and ranchers with respect to irrigation water were examined in the present study. 1-5