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001731, - - - 'iJ a --- I Interior Department giv~ I I . 8)' rHr\RLr~o;o ROOS :\t.. "''''ing1.ooI Rul'l'n WASHINGTO;o.; - The Intt:'rior [)(>part- ment Wednesday sent Sen. Flo)'d Ha."kell a favorable report on the Narrows Dam projett. and the senator said .'there is no earthl\' reason now that the dam should not go right ahead." Haskell, a Colorado Democrat, had said heexpt'Cted the dam to be approved and ex- pected to seek a start on funding in the fis- ('all979budget. The Interior Department sent a copy of the report to Haskell's Washington office. The senator was in l)(>.nn'r during a w("('k. long Senate l"t"CeSS. Narrows. on the South Platte River in northeastern Colorado. was on Presi<k'nt Carter's "hit list" of public works projN.'ts in 1977. Carter later relented. after protests rrom Coloradans. and the $l-W million proj(>ct was sent to the Interior Ot>part- ment to be restudied. A Haskell aide. Sal Chaves, said the re- port delivered Wednesday deals with each of five specific issues subject to re-evalua- tion. He summarized them as follows: -A "safe" dam can be built on the Narrows site. - }O~lood-rontrol asprt'ts of the dam and reservoir have been re-evaluated and found valid ~s go-ahead to Narrows I-The quality of water in the reservoir ....111 be adequate to pt-'rmit "pri'roary con- tact recreation" - swimming and boaling. I _ Th(-'re will be no adverse impacl on hahitat for sandhill cranes and, to the ex- tent the habitat may be ust"d by whooping Icranes. no ad\'erst' impacl on that endan- gered spt'<'ies I -It is not e<'OnomicaUy fea~ibl(' to build a ground.water recharging project as an alternatin' to the dam and reservoir. Haskell said he will urge the Carter administration to ioclude mon(-'v for Nar- ~s in the 1979 fiscal budget. ' The expected maximum capability (or constrlK'tion work in the j.ear is probably $5 million to $10 million, Chaves Said. The first priorities would Ilt:' relocation of a rail- road and rHstablis.hment of a field office in UtE' Fort Morgan area. Fanners who .....ould be displaced b). Uw dam and rE'st'rvoir have fought against it. Nebraska has expres..'iCd concern about fur- ther impoundment and diversion of Plalte Rin'rwater. Environm(-'ntalists say the project threat- ens .....ildlife habitat downstream on the Platte. IContin\M"d on pa~~ :Ul ~ ~ , - ~ , ~"" ~Z ~~ s-.~ --.\2 V ~