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TMM1M{OM THE BUP""-A. U ) OF RECLAlvIA'l'ION PROJECT BLUE .R IV') ) SOUTH PLATTE DescriPtion Of Blue River South Platte Project The Blue River-South Platte Project proposed far the Blue, River South Platte Conservancy District is- the one planned, surveyed and designed by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation sev- eral years ago. Three routes were surveyed at that time lor bringing the Western Slope water to the South Plalte Valley. These routes were designated: Montezuma, bringing water from Dillon on the Blue River to Grant on the North Fork 01 the South Platte; Empire, bringing water from the Western Slope collection system into the Williams River and Irom there into Clear Creek at Empire; Mollat, bringing all ihe Western Slope water into the Fraser River and into South Boulder Creek thru the Pioneer Bore 01 the Mallat Railroad Tunnel. Moflat Route Favored The Moffat Tunnel route was favored for the following reasons: 1. Develops more water and more power than the other routes. 2. New water can be made avail- able in a much shorter time. 3, An 011 Western Slope water sup- ply can be obtained lor the Metro- politan Area which is of much better quality than South Platte water, A. This route is more direct and more econom;cal. On this route it was planned to use the pioneer bore 01 the Moffat Tunnel which, il the lower one-hall is lined with concrete, would have Q capacity 01 1,000 cubic feet per sec- ond, Project Features Collection canals would be cori:' slructed from Homestake Creek, Tur- key Creek, Gore Creek and Piney River, converging "into a tunnel under Vail Pass into Ten Mile Creek, a tribu- tary of the Blue' River. A collection canal would be constructed on the east side of the 'Gore Range, starting near Green Mountain Reservoir and extending southerly to Ten Mile Creek and ,picking up the waters '01 the Blue '-and Snake Rivers and 'Straight Creek. ,A diversion canal would be con- structed Irom Straight Creek into the Williams River with a collection canal joining it from Keyser Creek to the north. The diversion canal would con- tinue on from the Williams River into the Freer River, terminating at the West Portal of the Pioneer Bore 01 the Mollat Tunnel. This diversion canal would be joined by collection canals picking up the unused water of the Fraser. A Combination Tunnel A combination highway and water tunnel might be substituted for the Pioneer Bore. This tunnel could be at 250 feet lower elevation (9100) and 6,4 miles in length. From the East Portal 01 the Mollat Tunnel the water would be conveyed to domestic, industrial and agricultural users in the most economical manner and developing the most power. Water would be distributed to larmers thru their existing ditt:hes for supplemental water and thru the fa!. lowing canals for new lands: A highline canal Irom Watertan on the South Platte to Cherry Creek Res- ervoir, thru the old EngHsh High Line Canal extended, thru the Henryl)'ll System extended aod thru a canal 1r01ll the Lower Box Elder Creek, extending easterly to Bijou Creek. Reseryo;rs on We.lfern Slope Reseryoirs would be conltruded Oft the Western Slope on the foIIGwInw streams: Eagle River at Panda, Piney River at Piney Lake, Gore Creek near MIn- turn, Ten Mile near Frisco; two reser- voirs on the Blue near Dillon, Snan River near ,Dillon, East and South Forks on the Williams River, St. Louis Creek, Vasquez Creek, Fraser River and Ranch Creek. The total capacity of th_ reservoirs would be about 800,OOn acre feet. Replacement Reservoirs would be built at Red Mountain and near Kremmling on the main Colorado River in order to replace to Western Slope users any water diverted that could hove been used by them. On the Eastern Slope reservoirs would be constructed as lollows: Upper Ralston Creek, two on Clear Creek, one at Empire and one at the Forks; Van Bibber Creek, South Platte at Two Forks, Chatfield and Narrows,