|
<br />001212
<br />
<br />"j
<br />
<br />Rear Creek, Box Elder Cr....k easl 01
<br />Milton lak.. and on Losl Creek. Th..
<br />tala I slora;. capaclly of Ih..... res..r-
<br />voirs would be oboul 1,400,000 ocr..
<br />feel.
<br />
<br />Waler Supply
<br />
<br />The Scmla F.. COlI'IPact in 1922
<br />divided the waters of Ih.. Colorado
<br />River at Lee Ferry, lust b..1ow the
<br />UIah,ArizollO stale line. 7,500,000 acre
<br />feel consumprlWl _ In perpetully to
<br />ihe Upper and Lower Basins respeel-
<br />'ively.
<br />
<br />In 1948 Ihe Upper Basin Stat..s di.
<br />yid..d Ihelr 7,500,000 aCnt feel and
<br />allotted 10 Colorado 3,855,000 acre
<br />feet oul of the ,nearly 11,000,000,
<br />ocr.. feel the Stale contrlbules to the
<br />Colorado River,
<br />
<br />A study of the U. S. Geological Sur-
<br />vey run oH records "at gauging stations
<br />01 or jusl below Ihe ,Western Slope
<br />collectio'n system planned for this pro-
<br />iect shows an average runoff in ex-
<br />cess of 900,000 acre feel annually.
<br />
<br />A reporl gollen oul by Ihe Bureau
<br />of Reclomalion in 1948 slales Ihat
<br />there are 570,000 acre feel of this
<br />amount annually available for diver.
<br />sion to this project
<br />
<br />Project Accomplishments
<br />
<br />The 570,000 acre feet, when brought
<br />oyer for the Project would accomplish
<br />the following:
<br />
<br />1. Provide domeslic waler for a
<br />population of 1,500,000 persons by
<br />supplying 155,000 acre feel 10 be
<br />added 10 Ihe 185,000 acre feet now
<br />owned by Ihe Cily of Denver. Only
<br />about 50,000 acre feel of Ihe 155,000
<br />would be consumed.
<br />
<br />2. Furnish 1 acre fool per acre,
<br />headgale diversion, as supplemenlal
<br />wal..r for Ihe 268,00Q acres of land
<br />now inadequately Irrlgaled; 134,000
<br />acre f..el of Ihis omounl would be r..-
<br />lurned for further diversion lower
<br />down.
<br />
<br />3. Furnish an adequale waler sup-
<br />ply for 240,000 acres of new lands
<br />within Ihe ,District, This, howe...r, de-
<br />pends on Ihe early recaplure of the
<br />relurn flow.
<br />
<br />4. Produce about 1,400,000,000
<br />kwh. of low cosl power.
<br />
<br />Cost and 8ene"/$
<br />
<br />The Bureau of Reclamalion h~s estl-
<br />, ,maled Ihe cosl of this Project 01
<br />$400,000,000 with 1948 prices; $300,-
<br />000,000 of Ihis amounl would be
<br />charged 10 power and $100,000,000
<br />would bo paid back by Ihe forme..,
<br />domestic and industria' water users.
<br />
<br />The Bureau figures the cosl-benefll
<br />raiio of this Project 01 1.00 Ia 1.42,
<br />i, e., for every dollar spent one dollar
<br />and farly-two cenls of value would b.
<br />oblalned.
<br />
<br />')
<br />
<br />The ayerage casl of the waler might
<br />b. around $1.50 per acre foot, spread
<br />over a period of 70 years.
<br />
<br />Limilolion on Tax Levy
<br />
<br />Under the Colorado Slale Waler
<br />Conservancy Act-1937-such a pro.
<br />posed Dislrict cannol leyy more than
<br />a half mill lax on properly in the
<br />dinrkl unlil delivery of waler is aclu-
<br />a lIy made to Ihe dislricl from lhe
<br />project faclllti.... When such delivery
<br />is made, if IMlce....ry, .he I....,. may
<br />be raised, by vole of the board of
<br />directors of the District to nol more
<br />than one mill. In exlreme emergen-
<br />cles, upon Yale a' Ihe people 01 Ihe
<br />disrlict, the levy can be raised to
<br />one and one-half miUs, bul Ihis one
<br />and one-half mills levy is the absolule
<br />maximum sel by Ihe slate law.
<br />
<br />The future prosperily and growth
<br />of Eoslern :Colorado Is abSolutely de-
<br />pendent on new sources of water
<br />supply. This new source exisls .nly
<br />In Ihe Colorado River.
<br />
<br />If"all Ihe inleresh in the Slate do
<br />not gel together and make use of this
<br />wal.r NOW il will be /ost 10 C%rodo
<br />FOREVERI
<br />
<br />M. E. 8unger.
<br />
|