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<br />OllJ.j,,5
<br />
<br />1'OXIGlITS program is de\'oted to trans.mountain
<br />di\"ersion:-;, SJX'akers tu follow will describe two
<br />sUl'h projects, in connection with the Blue-South
<br />Platte project, under investigation by the Reclama-
<br />tion Bureau for the Denver \'icinity, ),1. E, Bunger
<br />will outline the status of
<br />its dl'sign and the several
<br />features of its three al.
<br />temate plans. J.).1. Dille
<br />will pl'l':;ent a motion pic-
<br />ture showing the meth-
<br />ods and progress of
<br />construction on the C(I\o-
<br />rado-Big Thompsun proj.
<br />ect. which is being
<br />constructed 1)\" the Hec-
<br />lamation Bureau for the
<br />-,"or-them Colorado Water
<br />Conservancy Uistrict. )'1y
<br />assignment is to suppl....
<br />801lH' background infoI'.
<br />mation concerning trans-
<br />mountain diversion prou-
<br />lems and opportunities in
<br />Colorado,
<br />The Colorado-Big Thompson, tht' Blue-South
<br />Platte, and all otht'r .'Io-callpd tran.'i-moulltain dh'er-
<br />sion project,!; constructed and contemplated in Col()..
<br />rado, haw. some (eatures in common, among whieh
<br />are:
<br />(a) Their diverted supplies are waters o( the
<br />Colorado rivl'r svstem that flow via the Gulf of Cali-
<br />fornia to the Pacific Ocean;
<br />(b) The diverted waters are conveYl'd across, or,
<br />by means of tunnels, through the Continentlll Divide;
<br />and,
<br />(c) The pUrpo::<e is to supplement tht' supplies of
<br />streams, having their sources in Colorado enst of the
<br />Continental Divide, that flow via the Gulf of :\Iexico
<br />to the Atlantic Ocean,
<br />All that portion of the State of Colurado west of
<br />the Continental Dh'ine is drained In- the Colorado
<br />river system-by the main Colorad~ river and its
<br />tributarit.'s, such as the San Juan, Gunnison, Hoaring
<br />Fork, Eag]e, Blue, and Yampa rh'ers, The Conti-
<br />nental Oivide, standing north and south across ('l'n.
<br />tral Colorado, may itself, for purroses of this dis-
<br />eussion, be suh..dh'idf'rl into four sl,<,tions, al'cordingl)"
<br />as it forms the boundary line bet ween the drainag(>
<br />basin of the Colorado river sntern on the west, and
<br />the drainage basins of the four major stream sys-
<br />tems arising in Colorado east of the Continental
<br />Divide, namely:
<br />
<br />--
<br />
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />C, L. PATTERSON
<br />
<br />Principal Sections
<br />(1) :\orth Platte river, in north-central Colorado
<br />which flows nOl'thward into Wyoming;
<br />(2) South Platte ri\'er, whieh drains northeastent
<br />Colorado, and flows in that direction into :\ebra::<ka;
<br />(:0 Arkan,:as river, which drains southeastern
<br />Colorado, and flows eastward into Kansas; and.
<br />(-I) Rio "rande, which drains the San Luis \"al-
<br />le\' in south-centra] Colorado, and flOWl1o southward
<br />in'to :\ew :\Iexico,
<br />:\ote tne omission (rom this ~rouping of the
<br />Kansas river s\'stem, the headwater SOUITes of
<br />which, though in Colorado, are ]oeated in the plains
<br />of east-(,f'ntral Colorado far removed from the Con-
<br />tinental Divide,
<br />Section (1) of the Continental Divide in Colorado
<br />forms the southern and western boundan- of Jac-k-
<br />"on Couot\', There are several constructeti trans-
<br />basin din.rsinn projt'('ts from the :\"t1rth Platte rin>r
<br />
<br />hasin. including its tributary the Laramie river, to
<br />the South Platte river basin via its tl'ihutarY the
<br />Cache La Poudre river. But no projects ha\'e' heen
<br />constructed for di\'erting Colorado river water to the
<br />basin of the :\orth Platte river. However, such oppor-
<br />tunities exist, and are under investigation. They
<br />iO\'o]\"e diwl'sinns from the tributarie:5 of the Yampa
<br />river, for use in Colorado and Wyoming, to an
<br />aggregatp \'olume estimated at 200,000 A,V, annually,
<br />Section (:~) of the Continental Divide in Cn]orado
<br />furms the houndan- between the pastern Colorado
<br />counties (If I.:iriml:'r: Bouldl:'r, Gilpin, C1t'ar Creek and
<br />Park, and the wl:'stern Colorado counties of Grand,
<br />Summit and Eagle, Both the Colorado-Big Thompson
<br />and the B1ue.Suuth Platte projects, later to he de-
<br />seribed, are located in this Section (:!). Also there
<br />are several previously constructed trans-mountain
<br />diversions, induding a numher of ditehes for irri-
<br />gation interests, ami the ~toffat and Jones Pass
<br />tunnels o( the City of Denver. Together, the exist.
<br />in~ and contemplated projt-'ds, which embrace or
<br />command all the headwater tributaries of the Colo-
<br />rado river draining the west slope of Continental
<br />Divide st'('tion (2), including the main I"i\'t-'r near
<br />Grand L.akt-', and the Frazer, \\'illiams, Blue and
<br />Eagle ri\'ers, are eXpE'C'ted to develop about 1.150,000
<br />A,F, annually, for use in the South Platte basin in
<br />Colorado.
<br />
<br />Di..ersions Operating
<br />Further south in Sl,etion (3), where the Conti.
<br />nt'ntal Divide ftlmls the houndan' between the east..
<br />ern Colorado counties of Lake :tnd Ch:lffee, at the
<br />headwaters of the Arkansas river, ann the western
<br />Colorado counties. of Pitkin and Gunnison, drained
<br />by the Roaring Fork ami Gunnison rivers, there are
<br />a number of trans-mountain diversions in operation,
<br />.~mong these are se\"eral ditches mainly (or iniga.
<br />tlOn, though one is for municipal supplies at Pueblo,
<br />and a somewhat larger project, the Ind(>pendence
<br />Pass Tunnel, reel'ntly completed by the Twin Lakes
<br />irrigation system, Here, also, is the site of the con-
<br />temp]ated Gunnison-Arkansas project, undl:'r investi.
<br />~ation by the l~edamation Bureau for interests in the
<br />Arkansas valley. Existin~ and ('ontemplated trans-
<br />mountain diversion projeets along Continental Divide
<br />Section (3) are expeded to den'lop an estimated
<br />.");jO,OOO A.F. of Colorado river water for use in the
<br />Arkansas \'alle\' in Colorado,
<br />Cuntinental 'Divide Seetinn (,I) honlers the San
<br />Luis \'al]ey. Here, there ure also a fl:'w constructed
<br />trans.-mountain ditches, Opportunities for diversions
<br />from the San Juan river tributaries to the Rio
<br />(;rande IJa~in, including severa] comparatively small
<br />tunnel projects and one diversion possibility of major
<br />size, ha\'e I~n investigated by the Reclamation
<br />Bureau. If and when such of these Section (.1) proj-
<br />ects as prove (easible are constructed, they may
<br />de\'elop perhaps. ;>00,000 .-\,F, of Colorado water an-
<br />nually for use in the Rio Grande basin in Colorado
<br />and .\"ew :\[exico.
<br />~ummarizin,l!" this brief outline of development
<br />opportunities, the existing and prospt'ctive projects
<br />along the Continental Divide in Colorado ha\'e esti.
<br />mated aggregate yields of approximately 2,.-tOO,OOO
<br />A.F, annually. This is exclusive of stich exportations
<br />from the ColOl'ado ri\'er sY5tem as art' bt.'ing made
<br />and may be developed in other upper CO]OI"ado riwr
<br />Il<lsin States, such as from the Grel:'n Ri\'er in \\'\'001-
<br />ing, and from tributaries of the Colorado Rh'~r in
<br />Ctah, ,Of tht" allow estimated total export.ations,
<br />approximately -100,000 A,F, thereof may be utilized
<br />in Wyoming and ~ew ),It'xieo, and the remaining
<br />
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