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<br />.' <br /> <br />Finally, in taking an overview of the various structural <br />alternatives, it is most appropriate to recall the words of <br />Mr. Felix L. Sparks, Director of the Colorado Water Conserva- <br />tion Board, the only agency authorized by statute to speak <br />for the State of Colorado on water project matters, when he <br />commented on the project in 1976 (See Exhibit 26). His <br />concluding words then are even more valid now than they were <br />then. He said: <br /> <br />"We do not believe that the citizens of the metropolitan <br />area should be penalized because the proposed facilities <br />will traverse in part some federal lands. It is our con- <br />sidered opinion that the objections to the proposed Foothills <br />Project are neither objective nor unbiased. We can only <br />conclude that the proposed Foothills Project is necessary <br />and will result in the least possible cost to water users of <br />the metropolitan area. We therefore recommend that it be <br />approved." <br /> <br />"NO ACTION" ALTERNATIVE <br /> <br />Whether or not the requests for rights-of-way and <br />federal licenses are granted, there is only one reasonable <br />assumption that can be made about future Denver metropolitan <br />growth; as stated on page 2-78 of the PES, <br /> <br />Human population in the CWB service area will <br />continue to grow as estimated by the Denver Regional <br />Council of Governments (DRCOG). The advisory group for <br />the Foothills Project for socio-economic discussion <br />including representatives of the Colorado Division of <br />Planning, HUD, EPA, Bureau of ReClamation, Bureau of <br />Land Management and DRCOG, chose to use projections of <br />DRcOG. <br /> <br />Inertia for population growth exists, even the EPA Support <br />Document admits that there will be rapid growth for at least <br />another ten years. <br /> <br />Stated as simply as possible, the consequence of not <br />granting Denver's requests for rights-of-way is to condemn <br />the people of the Denver metropolitan area to an ever- <br />increasing shortage of water. <br /> <br />Of course, this general statement has many specific <br />ramifications and attributes. Initially, it must be pointed <br />out that the environmental impacts of such governmental <br />action would be unreasonably severe. <br /> <br />-18- <br />