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<br />DESCRIPTION OF THE COLORADO-BIG THOMPSON PROJECT <br /> <br />The Colorado-Big Thompson Project is one of the largest and most complex natural resource <br />developments undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation. It consists of over 100 structures <br />integrated into a transmountain water diversion system through which multiple benefits are <br />provided to the people. <br /> <br />The Project spreads over approximately 250 miles in the State of Colorado. It stores, regulates, <br />and diverts water from the Colorado River on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. It <br />provides supplemental water for irrigation of about 720,000 acres of/and. It also provides water <br />for municipal use, industrial use, hydroelectric power, and water-oriented recreation. <br /> <br />Major features of the Project include dams, dikes, reservoirs, powerplants, pumping plants, <br />pipelines, tunnels, transmission lines, substations, and other associated structures (table I, <br />exhibits I and 2). <br /> <br />Historically, the Project has diverted approximately 230,000 acre-feet of water annually (310,000 <br />acre-feet maximum) from the Colorado River headwaters on the western slope to the South Platte <br />River Basin on the eastern slope, for distribution to project lands and communities. The Northern <br />Colorado Water Conservancy District apportions the water used for irrigation to more than 120 <br />ditches and 60 reservoirs. Twenty-nine communities receive municipal and industrial water from <br />the Project. Electric power produced by six powerplants is marketed by the Western Division <br />of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. <br /> <br />The western slope collection system captures runoff from the high mountains and stores, <br />regulates, and conveys the water to Adams Tunnel for diversion under the Continental Divide. <br /> <br />To ensure irrigation and power generation under prior rights on the Colorado River, Green <br />Mountain Reservoir was constructed on the Blue River. Spring runoff is stored in this reservoir <br />and later released to meet the requirements of the Colorado River and to allow diversion ofwater <br />by the Project throughout the year. <br /> <br /> <br />meuame, CBT AoP98.DFI' <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />~limiDmy Working Draft July 8; 1999 <br />