WSP00880

• File Number: 8441.100
• Description: Colorado Big Thompson Project - Project Description
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 12/1/1982
• Title: Colorado - Big Thompson Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Colorado-Big Thompson Project

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Flatiron [lam and U"'~"nojr

to spread the cost of the works. resulted in over-expan_
sion. t';;JW'Cia]]~' in p"llrs of high Hnd adt>{luate runoff.
Subnormal or {'H'n normal nmoff )'t'llr... werE' critical for
much OIlhe arell so dew'loped. Water shortage", l'On-
tinuaIly plagued the irrigators.

Inn.stigalions

The idea of transmountain watt'r diwr..ions had bet>n in
exislenee since 1889. whpn the Colorado /{'gislature ap-
propriatffi money 10 invt'sliglltl' .~Ilch II proposal. Pro-
gressivt' sleps in legislation linall~' led. in 1922. to tht'
signing or thl:' Colorado Hiv!;,f Compact. which appor-
tioned th.. Colorado Kin>r water bet.....een lht' upper and
lower Lasin 51l1t('(oI. Later. the Boulder Canyon Act pro.
\'ided fund~ for determining the amount of lands that

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Pin....ood Lal... and Raul...nak" Uam

were or could be irrigated in tht' Colorado Rin'r Basin.
A plan was dewlopt.d whert'by Colorado Hh'('r water
could be divertt>d into watersheds in northea~tern Col.
orado ",here t1wre was a surplus of irrigable land~ and a
shortagt' of water. The upper basin 5latt's sllt't'e~sfully
de\elopt>d a compaet in 1948 prorating the upper basin's
shart' based on the 1922 compact.

En~int't'ring inn'(oItigations of th{' Colorado. Big Thomp-
!!On Project began in 1933. when a preliminary surH')' to
dett'rmine the fpasihilit) of a projt'('t wa.~ undt'rtaken. A
fa\'orablp rt-'port was prt-'N-'ntt-'d in 193-1-. In January 1935.
tht' Bureau of Reclamation wa~ allotlt-'d fund... b\. the
Public Works Admini!itration to make a nt'''' "t~dy.

Project construction WB!i contin~wnt upon the rormation
of a con"enllncy district to contract with the- Unitt-'d
States Gm'ernmt'nt. Accordingly. tht' Colorado Water
Const'r\'anc)' Law was passt-'d by thE' Colorado legislatur('
in 1937. 111(' law contains st'\'t'ral uniqut-' features. One
pro\'idt's that a ('(1O~n'ancy district may be organized by
an)" district court upon petition 01 a stipulatt-'d number of
propt'rt~' ownt'rs; anotllt-'r ret'Ognh:t-'~ that all who hent'fit
as a rE':mlt 01 projt'('t dewlopmt'nt should contribute to its
co"t and opt'ration in proportion to tho,.... bt'nt>Iits.

Tht-' :'\ortht-'rn Colorado Water Con!lt'r\'ancy District was
organiud in 1937 with boundari{'" which indude largt'
art'ss of Larimt-'r. Bouldt-'r. and Weld Countit'". and por'
tiom of :\lorgan. \l'ashington. Logan. and St>dgwick
Countit',;.

Author-iuttion

First construction funds wt-'rt-' pro\"idt-'d in tht' Intt-'rior
Dt"partmf-'nt Appropriation Act of Augu!lt 9. 1937150
Stat. 3951. Tht-' St'CrNar)"'s finding of ft'asibility was ap'
prO\-t-'d by the Pre,.idt-'n1 on Dt'cemhf'r 21. 1937.