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THE PROJECT AND THE DISTRICT The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (embracing the irrigoble lands and munici- palities of the Arkansas River Basin within the Proj- ect area) was created in 1958 under the Colorado Water Conservancy District Statutes for developing and, administrating the Fryingpan-Arkonsas Proiect (see Brochure No.1). The Fryingpon-Arkansos Water Project began os o dream many years ago, when 0 few visionary men and women realized the seriousness of water. They set about studying the water lows of Colorado; the amounts of water to which the citizens of this State were legally enlitled, but which they were not using; the engineering involved in making this water ovail- able to the citizens of Colorado; and the procedures to be followed in making their dreams 0 reality. They sifled reams of information, held countless In- State and Out-of-State meetings, and finally deter- mined the Fryingpan Proiecf was the best way to. get Colorado and Arkansas River water for the present and future citizens of this semi.arid Arkansas Valley. On August 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed the Bill, passed earlier by the Congress of the United States, creating the Fryingpan-Arkansas Proj- ect. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy I District become the legal agency responsible for the repayment of the reimbursable portion of this multi- , million dollar, multi.purpose Proiect. The information contained in this, and other Brochures, explain the critical ~ole being performed by the District and the serious responsibilities which have been imposed opon the fifteen men who serve as Directors for this agency. The headquarters for the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is located at 905 Highway 50 West in Pueblo, Colorado. The District is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of fifteen men representing all segments of the economy in the Con. servancy District. These Directors, in behalf of the nearly 400,000 citizens who live within the confines of the District, have assumed the responsibility of repaying a large share of the reimbursable portion of the Project through the sale of imported Proiect water, storage fees for native water in the East Slope Reservoirs, and the sale of native water stored and not used within a specific period. The District, os provided by low levies an ad valorem tax an- nually which becomes part of the repayment pro- gram. LOCATION The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project is located in central and southeastern Colorado. The collection and diversion area is located in a mounloinous and primi- tive area above an elevation of 10,000 feet on'the headwaters of the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork Rivers on the West Slope of the Continental Divide in Pitkin and Eagle Counties. The service area of the Project is located in the Arkansas River Basin on the East Slope of the Continental Divide in lake, Chaf- fee, Fremont, ?ueblo, EI Paso, Otero, Crowley, Bent, Prowers and Kiowa Counties. The headwaters of the Arkansas River lie above timberline in the high mountains near leadville. The river then flows south and east through canyons and foothills to the gently rolling high plains of eastern Colorado. The Arkansas River in Colorado stretches 340 miles from the Roc- ky Mountains to the Colorado-Kansas boundary and comprises and area of 26,150 square miles or ap- proximately one fourth of the total area of the State. The Project headquarters is located in the First National Bank Building in the City of Pueblo. Other principal Cities in the East Slope Project area ore leadville, Buena Vista, Solido, Canon City, Colorado Springs, Rocky Ford, lo Junta and las Animas. HISTORY OF THE AREA The Arkansas River Basin was first explored by the Spanish from 1760 to 1780. The first official ex- ploration by the United States was mode ;n 1806 by Lt. Zebulon Pike. later explorations were directed by Captoin John C. Fremont and Captain John W. Gunnison. The first permanent settlements were es- tablished after the discovery of gold in 1859. In the ensuing years, a Jorge influx of settlers to the Arkan- 2