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<br />0231 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />5. Recreational and Public Health Aspects <br /> <br />In regard to the health and recreational aspects of the Narrows <br /> <br />Unit, there are too many assumptions and uncertainties in the Bureau of <br /> <br />Reclamation report. <br /> <br />Unless the Bureau has solved all of these problems, which the Public <br />, <br /> <br />Health Service (Department of House Education and Welfare) identified in <br /> <br />their studies, it seems the Bureau of Reclamation is getting the cart <br /> <br />before the horse in planning this project. A project of this size should <br /> <br />not and cannot be built on assumptionsl <br /> <br />The Bureau states that all recommendations by the Public Health <br /> <br />Service are acceptable and will be implemented as fully as possible. <br /> <br />What is being done or what provisions are being made to improve the water <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />quality of the South Platte River to a degree that it will be suitable <br /> <br />for water sports such as swimming and water skiing? <br /> <br />A one million dollar recreation business is a very poor substitute <br /> <br />for an eleven million dollar agricultural business - especially if you <br /> <br />can't be in the water. This is a known and proven fact because the <br /> <br />farmers using this water for irrigation have problems with chapped and <br /> <br />chaffing hands after working in this low quality water. <br /> <br />In a report by the EPA submitted to Congress in October of 1975. it <br /> <br />was pointed out that Colorado water quality was just holding its own. <br /> <br />In this report the lower reaches of the South Platte River are exceedingly <br /> <br />high in metal concentrations which damage warm water fisheries. <br /> <br />Due to the fact that the lower reaches of the South Platte River is <br /> <br />nearly all bswage treatment plant return water, it may never consistently <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />reach the 198) clean water goals of fishing and swimming use. <br />