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<br />001998 <br /> <br />Initial Information Package <br />Williams Fork Hydroelectric Project <br />FERC Project No. 2204 <br /> <br />As part of Denver Water's collection, treatment and distribution systems, Denver <br />Water owns and operates several ditches used for the delivery of non-potable <br />water supplies. These include the High Line Canal, City Ditch, and the Fanners <br />and Gardeners Ditch. <br /> <br />Denver Water also owns various properties (including easements), facilities and <br />infrastructure throughout the North and South systems in Colorado. <br /> <br />1.3 <br /> <br />History of the Williams Fork Reservoir Hydroelectric Project <br /> <br />".1 <br />I <br /> <br />Williams Fork Reservoir is located on the Williams Fork River near its <br />confluence with the Colorado River at Parshall, Colorado (Figure 1.1.1). <br />Williams Fork Reservoir is located approximately 100 road miles west of Denver, <br />Colorado, on the western slope of the Continental Divide. The Williams Fork <br />Dam is a concrete arch structure that includes a spillway section, as well as an <br />outlet works and penstock. In addition to the concrete dam, a 2,000-foot long <br />earth dam (west dike) closes off a low saddle on the west side of the reservoir. <br />The elevation at Williams Fork Reservoir is approximately 7,800 feet mean sea <br />level (MSL). <br /> <br />J <br /> <br />In 1918 the City and County of Denver acquired the Denver Union Water <br />Company's water system and began investigating other sources of water. A 1921 <br />survey conducted by the City and County of Denver revealed additional water <br />potential by diverting water from the Williams Fork headwaters, through a tunnel, <br />to Denver. But it was the Bureau of Reclamation's (Bureau) Colorado Big- <br />Thompson project, a northern transmountain diversion, which first prepared plans <br />for a 75,000 acre-foot reservoir on the Williams Fork River. However, when <br />assessing the project, the Bureau determined that a reservoir on the Blue River, <br />rather than the Williams Fork River, would be most favorable. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Then in 1936 the City and County of Denver, using its 1921 survey, began <br />construction on the Williams Fork transmountain diversion. The original 100- <br />foot-high concrete gravity dam and the resulting water supply reservoir were <br />completed and put into use in 1941. The water was to be used as dilution for the <br />Denver Department of Parks and Improvement's sewage treatment plant. 2 After <br />the City and County of Denver had finished the first phase of the project, <br />modifications in the design of the sewage plant eliminated the need for imported <br />dilution water. Consequently in 1955, Denver Water purchased the City and <br />County of Denver's original Williams Fork facilities, consisting of real property, <br />water rights, right-of-way grants, 4.3 miles of collection conduit, a 6,623 acre-foot <br />reservoir and a 15,616 foot tunnel, for the purpose of developing the facilities for <br />municipal water supply. <br /> <br />2 The Denver Department of Parks and Improvements' primary purpose was wastewater treatment while Denver <br />Waters purpose was to develop municipal drinking water supply. <br /> <br />5 <br />