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<br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Description of the Existinq proiect <br /> <br />Early History <br /> <br />In the late 1800's and early 1900's, numerous small private <br />reservoirs were constru~ted on Grand Mesa to regulate the runoff of <br />Big, Cottonwood, Mesa, and Bull Creeks. These reservoirs filled <br />with water during the spring runoff, and released their storage on <br />demand of the irrigators in Plateau Valley to supplement the low <br />natural streamflows in late summer. Individual water users or <br />small cooperative associations built most of the reservoirs in <br />basins formed by glacial action. <br /> <br />privately constructed canals and ditches were also operated <br />intermittently throughout the winter months to supply the <br />communities of Collbran and Mesa and the rural areas with domestic <br />and stock water. <br /> <br />Project Investigations <br /> <br />Investigations were initiated in 1937 to study the needs of the <br />area for proper development of its abundant resources. Included in <br />the plans for developing the necessary supplemental irrigation <br />waleL ~ arable lands was trn:--plarr-W-qeneral:e -electrical power--- <br />and initially, to provide water for industrial and domestic use in <br />the Grand Valley. <br /> <br />Authorization <br /> <br />The Collbran project was authorized on July 3, 1952, by act of <br />Congress (Public Law 445, 82nd Congress, 2nd session) for <br /> <br />4 <br />