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nr"Ql) J Permits were obtained for en. vironmental and feasibility studies; consultants were hirt"d to conduct the work plus the subse- quent design and construction supervision. Studies will focus on Muddy Creek drainagl' near Kremmling and Rock Creek drainage aboVt. ~tcCoy. Specific site selection will follow complt-. tion of studies. A 54,000 acre-foot. multi use conditional decre(' was obtained for the Rock Creek sitt.. whert. core drilling was conducted in 1985. Throughout the process, objectivp of tht. River District board and staff has bt'('n to con. struct a project for the benefit of Western Colorado without usin/{ funds from Western Colorado. The objt'ctivf' is heinl{ r{'alized: sole cost to thp rt'gion is loss of some 50,000 acrt'-fet.t of water dut' to Windy Gap projt'ct. Rivt'r District staff continues to study the projpct singularly and as coor. dinatt'd with rdeast's from Gret'n ~lountain and Rupdi rpsPI"Voirs. and perhaps a joint usp rt'sf'rvoir to maximize bt'nf'fits to \\..t.stf'rn Colorado. 1;f~EE\ .\Iot \"T.\I\". Construc. tion of Green ~lountain Rt'st'rvoir on thf' Rlue River north of Dillon as mitigation for tht' Colorado RiK.Thompson transmountain di....ersion was assured .some 50 ypars ago by the River District's predt'ct'ssor. Toda:., for a markt,tab]t. yield of approximate]~. 23.000 acrto.ft'et. bt'~.ond compt'n sator~. rt'fjuirt'ments. the River District and federal governmpnt havt" bpt"n neg-otiating a master watf'r sales contract. AftN grt'at study and delibf'ration. both the Rivt'r District and federal officials have agret'd upon a contract to bt" signt'd. Sole remaining hurdle. is satisfaction of :-:ational En. vironmental Policy Act provi- sions. The $1.958.750 capital cost associated with th.. 23.000 acre. feet and paid off across 16 Yt'ars. plus GrN'n ~lountain operating, maintenancp and repair t'xpenst's. plus River District administratin. costs will all be rt'("ouped through long-term watt'r sales contracts to Western Colorado domt.stic. in. dustrial. and agricu]tural wat",r users. Significantly, with the Rivt>r District's master contract. those seeking a contract for large or small 4uantities can skip the If.'nl{thy federal process that they would have otht'fwist. bt'en reo l~uire-d to go through individually. Green :'.Iountain waters continue to be studied by the River District. [)t'nver Water Board and Colorado Water and Powt"r Dt'vt'lopmt'nt Authorit.~. for pos- sible exchanges between Dem.pr and Wpstt'rn Colorado. KOBE. m: BEtKE. Another project invo]....ing long term effort by tht. River District continued to makt. demands in 1985 but also began to pay Io:Teat dividt"nds. In 1983. tht> River District. B]uestont' Water Conservancy District and Gt.tty Oil si,l{nt'd a lpase in which the Rivl'r District's Kobl' decrN' will bt. put to beneficial use for a time certain by G(.tty. Rlueslone and the River District formed a managf'mt'nl committee to carry out lease terms. In 1985, that indudf'd land and ri,l{ht-Qf-way acquisition for tht. Kobe pipelint.s. Gt"uy is to contributt' $1.5 million for a water system to serve thl.' DE'Bt'que area. First call on 15 second feet of tht. Kobe dt'cre(-' is retainf'd for community use. Tht. managemt'nt committee is providing $100.000 in lease revenue from Gett~. to the town of Dt'Beque to further the municipal .....ater system: water fef's will be used to ({'pay thf' loan. In 1985, major advances were mad", in the River District's effort of helping to brinK municipal .....ater Servicf' to par. tions of DeBequt' and thE' Roan Cref.'k area .....ithout cost to the taxpayers. Projt'ct engint'erin,l{. pf'rmitting efforts and land ac. quisition .....ert' al] in progrt.ss on the municipal systpm at the clost' of 1985. .I("\IPEIL This ]arg('. multi pur. pose project on tht' Yampa River west of Craig holds great promise not only for the imm{.diate art'a 3 but for tht. region and state as w('11. Besides enormous benefits in terms of h)'droeJectric power generation. water storage, recrea- tion, tourism and en....ironmenta] enhancement, the site is strategically located to satisfy a downstream compact call and to facilitatt. a possible water leasing program to lo.....er basin entities should that provt' desirable. H.\\f;ELL Water Users Association So. I. a subdistrict of the Rivl'r District made up of th(' .....estern one-third of Rio Blanco Count~., is funding Taylor Dra..... Dam and Kenney RE'senoir on thf' White River nt'ar Rangely. The i('servoir filled for the first time in 1984. In 1985. pO.....t.r decrf't's .....ere secured: 620 second- ft't't with a 1962 priority and 900 second-feet with a 1982 priority. A ]icenst' is expectl'd from the Federal Energy Regu]atory Com. mission for hydroe]pctric power gent'ration retrofit. Nf'gotiations were complt'ted on sale of power to Moon Lake Elt'ctric Assn. Bids .....f're taken on the hydro project and .....ork wil] begin soon after a license is issued. Autonomy of thf.' Range]y operation was increast'd in 1985 with hiring of a manager and shifting of most association paper work from Glenwood Sprinl{s to Rang(-']y. WE~T f)I\"Jm:. With contribu. tions by the Ri....pr District. $19.00U; West Dividt. Water Con. servancy District. $1.000; and Co- lorado Watt'r Const'rvation Board. $80,000: reconfiguration studies of Iht' W('st Divide project wert' coo- ductt.d throul{h much of 1985. West Divide .....as authorized b). Congress for simultaneous con. struction with the Ct'ntral Arizona ProjE'cl. but nev{'r fund. ed. Fol]ow up stud if's may be con. ducted in 1986 .....ith possible later construction of a scaled do.....n pro. jt'ct in thp Di....idt' Creek area of Garfield County south of the Colu. rado Ri\"{'r built with state or Co. ]orado Ri....er Storage Projf'ct sur. charge rf'venues. ..