WSP00769

• File Number: 8210.766
• Description: Gunnison River General Publications - Correspondence - Reports - Etc
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 3/1/1993
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Scoping Report for the Gunnison River Contract - Analysis Notebook - Section II - Comments by Item Codes
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Gunnison River Contract Scoping - SORTED Comments

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2. COLO_SPR; pl.lI2. What is the "need" for this action? Why aren't the asserted goals of the
action being adequately met at the current time? To wbat constituency are tbe agencies responding in
advocating the current proposal?

2. CREDA; pS,'3. What "storage water" would be set aside for otber purposes (page 9 of Information
Packet)? What purposes?

2.

CWCB; pl.'4, 3)
Storage Project Act.

Protection of the operation of the Aspinall Unit under the Colorado River

2. CWCB; pL'S. 4) Protection of fish, wildlife and recreational resources in the Aspinall Unit
(Curecanti National Recreation Area) as well as the Monument and Gunnison Gorge.

2. GREENO+; pIO,'2. Recreation and fisb and wildlife uses sbould be treated as primary'purposes
of the Aspinall Unit. In the 1991 Union Park Decision, Judge Brown decided that the 1968 Colorado
River Basin Project Act "make recreation and fish and wildlife uses [along the Gunnison River
downstream as well as on the reservoirs] primary purposes of the CRSP reservoirs" (page 23). He also
held that bydropower generation is only an incidental purpose (page 28). Judge Brown's findings
clearly direct the Bureau of Reclamation to empbasize fish and wildlife and recreation uses over power
generation in tbe negotiation of the proposed contract.

2.

GREENO + ; p9, '4. Issue J. ASDinall Unit Purooses - The Aspinall Unit purposes listed on page
8 of the April 1992 Puhlic Information Packet are;
--regulating tbe flow of the Colorado River
--storing water for beneficial uses
--allowing the Upper Basin states to utilize the apportionment made to and among them
through the Colorado River Compact and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact
--reclamation of arid and semi-arid lands
"providing for flood control
--providing for fish and wildlife enhancement and for public recreation
--improving water quality
--providing for the generation of bydropower
GREENO + ; plO,'1. The implications of each of these (Aspinall Unit) purposes for the
contract sbould be described in clear detail including their relative priority and intensity of
conflict.

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2. MCCCOREY; pl,'H5. Recognizing tbe pre-existing conditions leading up to the concept,
development and building of the Wayne N. Aspinall Storage and Power Generation Unit, I will not
repeat the purposes of the three-dam unit bave not changed and must be the first priority recognized in
the proposed. delivery contract to the ml\ck Canyon Nationl\\ Monument. They are as follows:
Storage;
I. Fulfilling adjudicated water rights priorities for agriculture, municipalities,
Colorado River Compact and Upper Colorado River Compact.
2. Flood Control
3. Power generation; the original Act by Congress to generate power to pay for
project and for future Bureau of Reclamation projects.
4. Improvillg water quality, fisb and wildlife enhancement, and recreation.
The building and operation of Wayne N. Aspinall Unit bas provided all of tbe above
and should he interrupted, otherwise the full benefit of the Unit will not be realized.

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