WSPC00167

• File Number: 8040.950
• Description: Section D General Studies - General Water Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 7/1/1974
• Title: Report on Water for Energy in the Upper Colorado River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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under Section 5.d of the Act. Also, under the National Environmental
Policy Act, Federal agencies must consider alternative uses of a
river. Further, the approved Principles and Standards required not
only that conventional water development projects be formulated and
evaluated in terms of both economic and environmental objectives,
but also that wild and scenic river studies be done in like manner
A primary recommendation of the Nationwide Outdoor Recreation Plan
is that the Department of the Interior will complete a program of
identification and selection and a plan for acquisition of those
areas needed for the Federal recreation estage. To this end,
committees of concerned Federal representatives have been formed
at both the Washington and Regional levels to review and develop
criteria which rivers must meet to qualify for inclusion within
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System with administration by
a Federal agency and criteria for rivers to be included in the
National System, with administration by a non-Federal agency.

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An effort has been made to compile lists of rivers and streams that
had been recommended in proposed legislation or in offical reports
and correspondence as suitable for preservation. From this effort
it appears that virtually every major and most minor rivers in the
West have at one time or another been identified by someone as
having free-flowing values. Regardless of whether or not a river
will qualify for addition to the National system of wild rivers,
they are important as part of the recreation resource base. The
combination of widespread general interest and the intent of the
aforementioned laws and policies makes it imperative that information
on the potential of all rivers be obtained and considered before
projects are approved that will alter their present characteristics.

Existing Water Rights - Each Upper Basin State recognizes the
diversion of water for beneficial uses as a cornerstone of the
appropriation doctrine. The methodology of acquiring a water
right is different in each state. Most direct flow rights are
issued for a rate of diversion, usually measured in cubic feet
per second. Reservoir capacity measured in acre-feet is the usual
unit for storage rights. Diversion for agricultural use is generally
limited to the growing season. Other uses are not so limited. The
total amount in acre-feet diverted under a direct flow rate varies
by year, place, elevation, and state. Computations to convert the
amount diverted in cubic feet per second to the amount of depletion
of a source in acre-feet are"very difficult because one must con-
sider, among other things, kind of use, temperature, hydrology,
elevation, percolation, surface flow, etc.

Streams in the Upper Basin generally have high flows
June, and early July) and a restricted flow the, rest

in the spring
of the year.

(May,
Many

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