WSPC07585

• File Number: 7630.450
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Piney River
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 6/1/1973
• Title: Wild and Scenic - Piney River - Review and Proposal for Inclusion of the Piney River in the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - Preliminary Draft
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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EPA letter

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(b)

Page Two

The Eagle Piney Project and the Eagle Colorado
Collection System on the Eagle River and its
tributaries, Piney River and its tributaries,
the Colorado River and its tributaries, and
the tributaries of the Blue River (below Dillon
Dam) - The Board of !later Commissioners of
the City and County of Denver.

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(c)

Homestake Project on Homestake Creek and Cross
Creek and their tributaries (all tributary to
the Eagle River) - Cities of Colorado Springs
and Aurora.

(d) Twin lakes Canal and Reservoir Co. on the Roaring
Fork River above Aspen, Colorado - (private corp-
orati on).

(e) Fryingpan-Arkansas Project on the Fryingpan River
(tributary to the Roaring Fork River at Basalt,
Colorado).

(f)

The Central-Colorado-Denver Project of the Central
Colorado Hater Conservancy District.

San Juan-Chama Diversion Project on the Blanco and
Navajo Rivers near Pagosa Springs-Bureau of Reclamation.

(g)

(h)

The Gunnison River claims of the Central Colorado ~~ter
Conservancy District and Messrs. Oxley and Bunger (both
sets of claims representing a reincarnation of the old
Bureau of Recl amati on Gunni son-Arkansas Project).

!'!e urge the Environmental Protection .I\C)ency to consider declaring that
a state of emergency exists as to the quality and quantity of water in
the Colorado River Basin in light of these new developments and enact
-.--m---------a--mol"atorium on -transmounta i n -di versi ons .of -':Iater -in-connecti on \~i th
new projects yet to be built and proposed enlarge~ents of existing
projects. The moratorium should be set up to last until the federal
government and its associates have a chance to study all of the per-
tinent ramifications of these proposed diversions on the quality and
quantity of Colorado River wate.

2. !later Oualtiy_and_Quantitv Control and ExistinQ leQal Constraints.

Colorado laws concerning water rights appropriations and beneficial
---- -.use of ~Iater do-not presently countenance ~Iater quality or quantity
control, both of which are required to save the Colorado River Basin
from becoming more seriously depleted and polluted as a result of
the maximization of water development projects planned for the
near future.

We urge the Environmental Protection Agency to assist on-going
Colorado statewide efforts to obtain legal protection for streams.
and river basins of origin and to bring about changes in Colorado

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