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<br />c. Current utilization of Soda Lakes. The interconnected Soda <br />lakes have a combined storage capacity of about 1,736 acre-feet, of <br />which about 1,500 acre-feet is active storage. Water in the active <br />storage zone is subject to Withdrawal, principally on a seasonal basis, <br />by shareholders of the Soda Lakes Reservoir and Mineral Water Company. <br />To accommodate the proposed recreation use, local sponsors intend <br />acquisition of an interest in the storage and use of water through <br />appropriate financial arrangements with present owners under Colorado <br />water laws. An estimate of the cost of such acquisition is included <br />in the estimate of costs for the optimum recreation plan recommended <br />by the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />d. ' Water requirements. To utiliz,e the Soda Lakes for recreation <br />functions in'accordance with the optimum recreation plan would require <br />an estimated 1,500 acre-feet of water for initial fill and an estimated <br />230 acre-feet annually for replenishment of losses. Combined with <br />the initial fill requirement of 2,400 acre-feet for the recreation <br />pool of the Mount Carbon Reservoir and a replenishment volume of 300 <br />acre-feet annually, the total water requirements for the project.s <br />recreation fUnctions would be 3,900 acre-feet for initial fill and <br />530 acre-feet annually for storage replenishment. <br /> <br />;~, <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />4. COSTS AND BENEFITS <br /> <br />s. Benefits. The Bureau of Outdoor Recrestion has estimsted <br />that optimum development of the Mount Csrbon' area for recreation <br />would result in,net annual recreation benefita of $815,000, of <br />which $625,000 is attributable to general recreation functiona <br />and $190,000 is attributable to fish and wildlife functiona. <br />This represents an increase of $642,000 over the $173,000 <br />annual recreation benefits reported for the recommended plan. <br /> <br />b. Costs. The additional landa, facilities, and vater purchaaes <br />required for the optimum recreation development of the Mount Carbon <br />Reservoir would increase the estimated project first coat from <br />$29,800,000 to $32,617,000. Comparative cost and benefit data, baaed <br />on a 3.25 percent interest rate and an economic life of 100 yeara, for <br />the recommended plan and for the plan including optimum recreetion <br />development are presented in table 2. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />10 <br />