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e e e O~2:3S The UnCCllllPabgre project, cCllllPleted in 1931, serves the irriga- tion of about 16,500 acres along the Uncompahgre River, which is outside the area covered by this rev:l.ew 0 Water for this project is 'obtained principally from the natural flow of the Uncompahgre River and f'rcm the Gunnison Tunnel which diverts wa'j;er f'rom the Gwmison River just below the Crystal damsite'j" the f'arthest downstream of the 3 dams of thf:! CUrecanti unit 0 Rights' for the CUrecanti unit were granted by the state of Colorado to the Colorado River Water Conser- vation District with a priori t1 date of November 13, 1951. These r18hts were assigned by the district to the United States in January 1962 subject to the condition that the unit would. be devel- oped and operated in a lIBIIJ1er consistent with the beneficial use of the 118ters in the Gwm1son River basin. In order that future devel- opments in the ~er Gunnison River basin may be assured of' rights to the use of water, a form of contract was developed for execution between the United States Government, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and the water users in the upper basin sub- ordinating the diversion and storage rights of the Curecanti unit to future developll1Snts u;pstream, both private and Federal, even though th,e u;pstream developments may be junior to the CUrecanti unit right. The total amount of u;pstream depletions for which the priorit,. of the Curecanti unit right ma,. be waived has yet to be dete:nn1ned. Special contracts would be required f'or the use bf storage in Curecanti reservoirs for developments above or below the reservoire. No payments would be required for depletions of the stream1'low at Curecanti reservoirs from upstream developmente unless storage space in the reservoirs w~:substituted for storage required upstream. Possible exchanges of water involv:l.ng the Uncompehgre project might be necessary tor the operation of certain proposed developments in the u;pper Gunnison River drainage basino ' This would require a negotiated agreement with the UncCllllPabgre Water Users Association. Wa.t.erpower and Wat.er Storage De~~opment.s, Existing and Under Construction xCurecant1 Unit of ColOrado River Storage Projecto--The f'unctions of the Curecanti unit, now under construction, are primarily to de,- velop the water storage and hydroelectric power potentials of a 40- mile stretch of' the Gwm1son River between the upstream boundary of the Black Canyon of' the Quml1son National MoIllllllent and the town of' Gunnison, Colorado 0 other purposes are irrigation, recreation, and flood controlo The unit consists of 3 dams and reservoirs, each with a powerplant 0 10