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<br />2986 . . <br /> <br />11. Question: ~no will regulate the discharge from the reservoir? <br /> <br />Answer: Under the Colorado system of water administration, the <br />State Engineer or his representative is charged with distribution of <br />water among the appropriators in order of their priorities. It is a <br />matter of small moment as to whetller the water corr~ission or the gate <br />tender actually manipulates the outlet gate. It would be the Water <br />Commissioner's responsibility to set the amount of discharge required <br />as determined by inflows to satisfy senior priorities. Release of water <br />from storage in Narrows would be made at the option of the owner, which <br />in this case would be the Government, and would be made for the benefit <br />of whatever lands hed contracted for such ser'lice. <br /> <br />sr;CTION POUli <br />SED n,leNT CO,';Ti(OL <br /> <br />1. ~uestion: Among the purposes for which the iJarrows Dam is to <br />be constructed is one of sediment control. ~e would like to know the <br />proposal of the 8ureau as to sediment control, particularly of waters <br />of Bijou Creek and whether or not such control will be during flood <br />stages of such a nature that water fit for irrigation can be discharged <br />from the dam to supply the approl'riators lower than the dam. <br /> <br /> <br />~~~~: As stated under Section One, question 8, firm choice <br />has not been made on how Bijou Creek di'lersion is to be handled. The <br />alternati'le being considered are complete diyersion of all Bijou fl~'.'/S <br />or partial diversion allowing flows, say below 5,000 c.f.s., to continue <br />in the present challi'1el of Bijou Creek. In either event, the s'ediment <br />problem would be bettered over past ex?erience in that sediment originat- <br />ing in the South Platte hi'ler and <{iowa Creek would be regulated and <br />controlled by the Narrovrs Reservoir. If partial diversion of Hijou <br />Creek is made, a laree share of t.he silt which occurs in periods of high <br />discharge would be di'lerted into t.he Narrows. In the event part.ial di- <br />version is made, Narr~Ns Reservoir rele~ses could be regulated in such <br />a way as to gi'le additional dilution to Bijou flows and thus reduce the <br />concentration of sediment in the river below Narrows. In order to justi- <br />fy complete diversion of Bijou Creek and full control of the sediments <br />originating in that stream, benefits to be achieved by such full diver- <br />sinn should exceed the cost of accomplishing the diversion. Data as Jet <br />evailable in this office would not indicat8 that suoh benefits would be <br />of that magnitude. However, if local interests can present information <br />and data the,t would indicate the benefits to be derived :1re of sufficient <br />magnitude to exceed the cost, then the choice might more readily be _de <br />for complete diversion and elimination of the sediment problem due to <br />Bijou. Estimates based on the best available data concerning sediment <br />carriage in the South Platte River show that over a 100-year period, if <br />all Bijou flows are diverted into the Narrows Reservoir, approximately <br />150,000 acre-feet of sediment would accumulate in Narrows. If Bijou <br />Creek is only partially di'lerted and low flows ~llowed to continue down <br />the present channel, the 100-year sediment accumul"tion in Narrows is <br /> <br />11 <br />