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Fact Sheet: UNION PARK RESERVOIR PROJECT UNION PARK RESERVOIR PROJECT The Union Park Reservoir Project "Union Park" is a proposed water storage project located in the Upper Gunnison River basin. The project proponent is Arapahoe County, which is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, The Upper Gunnison River basin currently has average annual outflows of approximately 500,000 acre feet after all existing uses. The flows in the Gunnison Basin continue to grow until its confluence with the Colorado River near Grand Junction, where an average of 1. 8 million acre feet flow out of the basin annually, Union Park is projected to divert an average of between 100,000 and 150,000 acre feet per year, or approximately 7% of the average annual outflows from the basin, The water would be stored in a 900,000 acre foot off stream reservoir and water could be physically made available to both the Eastern Slope and the Western Slope. (See map on reverse side.) Union Park would divert water to storage under its own junior priorities primarily during the spring runoff, It would divert very little water in the drier months and in dry years. However, it would store but substantial amounts of water in wet years which would be carried over in the large off-stream reservoir. For these reasons, Union Park would not require the dry up of any agricultural lands. In addition, it would place a portion of Colorado's remaining entitlement under the Colorado River Compact to beneficial use in Colorado, Due to its location and size, Union Park would guarantee permanent stream flows on the West Slope regardless of the physical water availability in any given year. Arapahoe County has also stipulated with CWCB to recognize both junior and senior instream flow water rights. CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT Union Park currently has a conditional decree for 325,000 acre feet for hydropower purposes, That decree specifies the guaranteed stream flows referenced above, The application to enlarge the reservoir for multiple purposes has been in litigation for more than 10 years, The Colorado Supreme [OVER] PROTECT WATER J I I ,ISOURCES I I . I \ I I \ ,.' .,H r- ::A -~ - - ~ :<< As Colorado continues to grow, its communities and economy place greater demand upon available water supplies. Acquisition of adequate renewable water supplies is increasingly important to those regions of the state which rely on non-tributary groundwater. The development of renewable water supplies without the dry up of agricultural lands is important to Colorado's diversitJ!. The fuU use of Colorado's entitlements unlIer the Colorado River Compact is essential to the state's well being. Colorado must maintain control of its 'Water resources for the approprUztifJn and use by its citizens,