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. . . CHAPTER I GENERAL DISCUSSIONS Tbe 1946 report on the Colorado River also outlined tbe Maybell project ~or use o~ power releases from the Juniper plant for irrigation of lands near the mouth o~ the Little Snake River. The Cross Mountain project was outlined as a hydroelectric power development. It would consist of a powerplant and small storage development at the Cross Mountain site on Yampa River and would utilize stream regulation provided by the upstream Juniper Reservoir. A reservoir and powerplant at the Cross Mountain site were outlined as a potential unit of the Colorado River Storage project in the 1950 report of the Bureau of Reclamation on the Colorado River Storage project and participating projects. Along with nine other ~ossible units of the storage project. the Cross Mountain unit was included as a means of pro- viding long-term regulatory storage in the Upper Colorado River Basin and production of hydroelectric power. A reconnaissance report of February 1957 on the Yampa-White project outlined a single-purpose irrigation development for lands in the Juniper project area with storage at the Juniper site. That report also outlined six other potentialities for use of the waters of the Yampa and White Rivers in other portions of the river basins. The 1957 report indicated that the Juniper project would be economically justified as an irrigation development. It pointed out, however, that appraisal of the project solely for irrigation use was made largely as a base for furtber studies of hydro- electric power possibilities at the Juniper Reservoir site and stated that the project should not be further studied as an irrigation project until related power development possibilities had been investigated. It also pointed out that desirable correlations should be made with the potential Cross Mountain Reservoir and power development. The findings and recom- mendations from the 1957 report provided general guidance for the investi- gations leading to this report and data from the previous investigations were used in the present studies to the extent applicable. Related Water Resource Developments Several developments in addition to the Juniper project are under con- sideration for use of the waters of the Yampa and White Rivers. In the Bureau of Reclamation's 1957 reconnaissance report on the Yampa-White project, plans were outlined for the Wessels. Hayden Mesa, and Great Northern irrigation projects that would utilize flows of the Yampa River above- the Juniper Dam site. The report also outlined plans for the Yellow Jacket project that would divert water from the White River Basin for irrigation o~ lands in the Yampa River Basin above tbe Juniper site. This -project is now under feasibility investigations by the Bureau of Reclama- tiono A development plan is being considered by the Four Counties Water Users' Association of Colorado to divert water east from the headwaters 13