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<br /> <br />Boat chute could launch <br />lon~fi_.r C"4llnnl~On tl....l.:n~ <br />::s ~- \J ~...........:~u .... r U <br /> <br />By Paul Sta:rnsen <br />StatlWdter <br /> <br />Hartland Dam, the only serious bar-' <br />rier to three-day, two-night "flDats" <br />down the GunnisDn River, could get a <br />boat chute. <br />Hydraulics at the dam, panicularly <br />during high flows, arc very dangerous, <br />explained LeRDY Jagodinski. <br />Jagodinski, owner of Gunnison <br />River Pleasure Park, attended a meeting <br />May 13 at Delta City Hall with to other <br />people. They discussed the possibility <br />of changing the dam's configuration to <br /> <br />allow a safer passage to rafters. and <br />boaters on the Gunnison River. <br />The ,meeting was called by Chris <br />Miller, City of Delta development coor- <br />dinator. Miller suggested the group <br />consider a bDat chute, new dam and <br />new diversion point for the dam, which <br />is located a quarter mile above the <br />Della gDlf course on the Gunnison. . <br />She said the prDject may be ap- <br />proached as a joint projcet of thc city, <br />Hartland Ditch Company, Dclta County <br />and the Friends Df the Gunnison, Possible <br />funding sources arc grants, lottery <br /> <br />Ie <br /> <br />funds, assistance through Region 10 <br />and energy impact funds. . <br />The Hartland Dam was apparently <br />re-built in the 1940s, according to Paul <br />Allen, who represented Hartland Ditch <br />company. He warned the group he rep- <br />resented the status quo; that the ditch <br />company felt the dam "wasn't broke." <br />LeRoy Black of Ute Engineering <br />agreed. He said the dam is very stable; <br />not giving the ditch company any trou- <br />ble. He noted, however, that ihe <br />headgate structure was in need of repair <br />and would eventually need to be <br />replaced. <br />"Thc purpose of this project," Steve <br />Shutt, city manager, observed, "is to get <br />the most use out of the work." He sug- <br />gested the project could, at minimum, <br />rcplace the headgate structure for the <br />ditch company, provide improved fish- <br />eries downstream, lessen the danger <br />posed by the dam's hydraulics tD people <br />boating or rafting down the ri vcr and <br />perhaps provide an improvcd source of <br />water to the city at the golf course. <br />Millcr asked the group to assess the <br />project. "Can it work?" <br />Black said the project could cost <br />millions of dollars as suggestcd and <br />Allcn asked if a dam could be built to <br />See Chute, Page 3 <br /> <br />001'1 H <br /> <br />--- <br />