WSP01521

• File Number: 8443.400
• Description: Narrows Unit Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 6/15/1974
• Author: US DOL BOR
• Title: Draft Social Assessment of the Proposed Narrows Unit and Alternatives Thereto
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

0:15:::

2.0 THE SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA AND THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT ALTERNATIVES

The Bureau of Reclamation is consideri~g the desirahility

of locating a dam, with irrigation, flood control, reservoir,

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and recreation capabilities, on the South Platte River.

The

dam would be located either seven miles west of Fort Morgan,

or at an alternate site, about 15 miles further west upstream

near the town of Hardin. The nature of these projects and de-

scriptions of their functions will be described below ~n

Section 2.2.

An alternative to projects at either of these

sites would be to not build a project at all.

For purposes

of this report, the area of potential social impact can be

described as the entire area which would be affected by either

of the two projects being built; the "without project" area

would" in effect, be that same geographic area.

In this

section the reader is provided fi-rst with a gen"eral description

of the area followed by a brief description of its demographic

characteristics.

The impact area can be generally defined as that geo-

Qraphic area beginning at the eastern boundary of Greeley,

Colorado, and extending some 75 miles eastward to Sterling,

"

Colorado. Assuming an average width of about 12 miles, this

means the so-called impact area contains somewhat in excess

of 900 syuare miles.

While Denver, Colorado, some 70 m'i],es

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to the southwest of the target area would be affected by any

decision in various ways, it is defined as being beyond the

direct impact area.

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