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<br />FRYlNGPAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO
<br />
<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE.RfORI
<br />OFFICE OF 'rHE SEGRET;\RY,
<br />Wa"ltinylon, D.C" May 4, 10961.
<br />
<br />Hon. 'VAYNE N. ASPINALL,
<br />Chairman. (}om-miUc(< on /71terior and In8ular Affairs,
<br />House (!f Rf:p]'e8cnta.tive.'~J lVa.sMnglon, D.C.
<br />DEAn 1\1 H.. ASPINALL: This is in response to yonI' request for un
<br />expr~s5ion of the- views of this Department on II.H. 2206, H.R. 2207,
<br />H.R. 2208, ltnd H,B.. 2209, bills to llUthorize the COllstI'llct.ion,
<br />operation, ann mnintentl:llcc l\y the Secrctfl.ry of the Interior of t.he
<br />Fryin\Tpnn-Arklll1sns project, Coloflldo.
<br />\V/'reeommend that one of these hill::; be enacted, provided it is
<br />nmelld\~d US Itereilll1.ftcr indiented.
<br />These bills fire" rcvisec[ ""rsion of H.R. 9929 nn.! othcr bills, 8Gt,h
<br />COIl6'Tt'SS, 011 which this D~pal't.l11ent report.ed hy Jettl'r dllted ~rttl'eh
<br />25 1900. They provide for l.he const.ruction, operation, and mfiiJlte~
<br />nn~lce by the Sccretflry of the Interior of the Fryingpun-Arkun.'5us
<br />project, ColofiHlo. The purposes served by thc project .would be the
<br />supplying of wilter for irrigation, Illunicipid, domcst,ic, find industrinl
<br />uses, ge.nel'uJ.ing iln<l tl'ans.rnitting hydroelectric power ii.nd energy,
<br />and cont.rolling floods, llnd for other u~eful lllln bCllcficill1 pllrposes
<br />iueidcllt,lll thereto, including l'ccrent,ion llnd cUlIsenr:ltion and dcvelop~
<br />meot of fish nnd wildlife.
<br />.A ril.tlH~r full description of the engineering features of t.his proposCll
<br />undertl1kin{r, of t.be purposcs which it will serve, nnd of tile benefits
<br />\\"bieh will i1e ltssoc.int.ed wit.h it, i~ readily ll\":lil,qble in t.he report, of
<br />tile Depart.ment of t.he IlIteriOl' on the project which \\"liS submit-tcd
<br />on ,June fl, l'J;n, to the Prcsident of the Senate' I1lld t,he. Spenkcr of tile
<br />House of Reprcsentn.tivcs in n.ceordaIH.'e wit,h t.he provisions of section
<br />'9(Il) of the .Reclamllt.ioll Project Act. of H):3!\ l.lnd which wns printed
<br />as House Documcnt 187, S;Jd Congress.
<br />~il1ee House Document, 1,137 WllS printed, a !lumher of changes in the
<br />project plil.T1 hn.ve been adopte.d which ell.ll be HccoJl1JTlodl1t,ecl under
<br />the provisions of t.he legislntion under (:ol1sidern.tion, A major
<br />modificnt.ion is the: substit.ut.ion of RlICdi, lIBI! possihly Asheroft. Ditln
<br />and Reservoir for Aspen DtUH 11IH1 Hesen"oil'. Other ChllHg~~S indude
<br />the eliminat.ion of the water tl'e;ltnll~Ttt plt:l.nt nt Pueblo, n. chllllge in the
<br />point, of di\'erSlon for service to Colorado Springs. the tldditioll of
<br />facilities t.o insure winter opcl'll..t.ioll, llnd t,Ile withdm,\\"ltl of certain
<br />lands from the SoutllCflst Colorado COIlSCn"l1nev Dist.riet. The t.tfcct
<br />of these ehnnges itnu of clll1.ngcs in price le\"cl~' Ilnd cost indexes on
<br />the physical plan tUld on t,he eco1lomic IInel filllllleiul aspects of t.ile
<br />project. lire set fort.h in det.ail in the Reevaluation Statement, FrYIIlg-
<br />pan-Arkansas projeet., Colorado, .11l1lUtil''y 1 ono, it (~opy of which WitS
<br />at.ll1.d1Cd to our lettcr of !\Iur~h 25, 19fiO, reporting on H.R. 9229,
<br />86~lJ Congress.
<br />For convenient. rcfere.llee IH~ the eOlll1nitt.ec1 the purposf'S ftlH{ e:\"-
<br />pc(~ted aeeorllplislrlllC/lts of t~he projr.c,L lIl/lV be SUlIlllltll'ized thus:
<br />The pl'ojeeL tUnlCIlJplutl~.s (1) di\'crtillg thJ'()ugh Lhl' pruject works
<br />from t,he Rourillg F1xk Ri\'cr B~lSill in \\'{~st.ern Colorado to t.he A.r-
<br />kn,nsas River B~ISilt ill Cl1steC'1I Culorado npproximlltely 69,000 l:l.cre-fer.t
<br />of water per u.nnulll; (2) diverting through the, exigting works of the
<br />Twin L!lke~ Co. about 15,000 l1ci'e-foet pel' llnnum OVel' und llhove
<br />whllt tUllt eomptUIY no\\' I.Everts; (;~) eonstruction of stonlge on the
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