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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />which is being paid for by water users and power users in <br />northeastern Colorado, and that the tremendous recreational <br />industry and environmental enhancement which was created <br />along with these lakes was incidental and not a par,t of the <br />original justification for the project. <br /> <br />The original purpose of this entire integrated <br />storage and carriage system was for the collection and con- <br />veyance of water to northeastern Colorado and this continues <br />to be its primary purpose to this day. Upon delivery in north- <br />eastern Colorado this water is used for agricultural, municipal, <br />and industrial purposes. All water from the Colorado-Big Thomp- <br />son Project has been totally allotted to users in these cate- <br />gories in northeastern Colorado. While the majority of the <br />water was originally allocated to irrigated agriculture, <br />there has been trend over the last 15 years for the ownership <br />of the allotment contracts for this water to gradually trans- <br />fer towards municipal and industrial water users. This has <br />caused a rapid escalation of the price for a unit of Colo- <br />rado-Big Thompson water and has caused a gradual transfer <br />of water from the agricultural economy of the area. Over <br />the years since the project began full operation there has <br />been an average delivery of approximately 235,000 acre-feet <br />of water to the water users on the eastern slope. Of this <br />amount approximately 20% is presently being delivered to <br />municipalities and industry for their use. The remainder <br />continues to be used for irrigated agriculture. The demand <br />for transfer of agricultural water to municipal use has been <br />substantially moderated by the commitment of six major <br />municipalities in the northeastern Colorado area to develop <br />through construction of the Windy Gap Project, an independent <br />supply of water to meet their requirements, which I will <br />discuss more fully hereafter. <br /> <br />-3- <br /> <br />1463 <br />