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<=> C..:> t- /Xl W ~ ,~ .-,.' DESCRIPTION OF THE COLORADO-BIG THOMPSON PROJECT The Colorado-Big Thompson Project is one of the largest and most complex natural resource developments undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation. It cons i sts i of over 100 structures integrated into a transmounta in water diversion system through whi chmul tip 1 e benefits are provided to the people. The Project spreads over approximately 250 miles in the State of Colorado. It store~, regul ates, and di verts water from the Colorado Ri ver on the western ~lope of the Rocky Mountains. It provides supplemental water for irrigatiqn of about 720,000 acres of land, municipal a.nd industrial use, hydroeleqtric power, and water"oriented recreation opportunities. Major features of the project include dams, dikes, reservoirs, powerplants, pumpi ng pl ants, pi pel i nes, tunnel s, transmi ss i on 1 i nes, subs tat ions, and other associated structures (table 1, exhibits 1 and 2). The Proj~ct diverts approximatelY 260,000 acre-feet of wate.r annually (310,000 iacre-feet . maximum) from the Colorado River headwaters on the western slope to the Big Thompson River, a South Platte River tributary on the eastern slope, for distribution to project lands and communities. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District apportions the water used for irrigatio~ to more than 1"20 ditches and 60 reservoirs. Eleven communities receive mllni ci pal and i ndustri a 1 water from the Project. El ectri c power produced py six powerplants is marketed by the Western Division of the Pick-Sloaft Missouri Basin Program. The western slope collection system traps runoff from the high mountains and stores, regulates, and conveys the water to Adams Tunnel for diversion under the'Continental Divide. . To assure! i rri gat ion and powergenerat i on under pri or rights on the Colorado ~iver, Green Mountain Reservoir was constructed on the Blue River. Spring ru~off is stored in this reservoir and later released to meet the requiremel\ts of the Co.lorado River, and to allow diversion of water by the Project t~roughout the year. Irrigatio~ systems on the Colorado River, above the Blue River confluence, were imprdved to enable continued use of existing rights. Releases are made from !lake Granby to maintain the Colorado River as a live fishing stream. ' The princi!pal storage features are lake Granby, Grand lake, and Shadow Mountain R~servoir located on the Colorado River near Granby, and Willow Creek, a t;!ributary below lake Granby. Willow Creek Pumping Plant lifts the water ~75 feet, which then flows by gravity via the WilloW Creek Feeder Canal to l~ke Granby. Granby PumPing Plant lifts the water 125 feet from lake Granby to Granby Pump Canal; The canal conveys the water 1.8 miles to Shadow Mountain lake, which also' intercepts North Fork .flows of the Colorado River. Shadow 5