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<br />FRYINGPAN":ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO
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<br />ent,ire eastern slope of Colorado and Grand and Summit.. Counties on
<br />t.he western slopp, eomprises roughly two-t.hirds of t.he StfLt.e and
<br />contnins 11 large mlljorit,y of the St.ate's populat.ion find industries.
<br />The area is served wit.h ell'ct,ricit,Y by 15 prr\"tl,te llt.i1itics, 25 municipal
<br />orgallizntions, 11 ~EA coopernt.ives, nnd the Bureau of Reclamation.
<br />Alt.houtl'h not considered n. permanent part of the power market area,
<br />Jonds i~ tlip vicinity of Gunnison find Sagullche mfi~Y be served origi-
<br />nolh- by t.lip, init.inl development hccausc of their proximit.y to the
<br />profeet." power syst,om. The Color~do-Big Thompson pr<?ject hilS,
<br />among ot.lter fel"lt.u.rcs, the .21,tiOO-kllowatt. Gree.n ~lountnm hydro-
<br />dectric phmt now III opcrn t.Wll 011 t.he western slope, flHd, when com-
<br />pkted. will also huve hydrnelect.ric plunts on the eustern slope nort.h
<br />of DC'nn'r'.
<br />~:1. In Decemher 1948-I.he lntest )'e,"' of complete record-in-
<br />stnlled gl'llpl'ating C'llpn<'-ity in the eombined power market area tot,sled
<br />:147105 kilowntts. Of thilt tol",], 3:19,000 kilowat.ts were depennnhle
<br />cap~cit.y. Only ilbout 20 percenr, of the instnlled cnpacity was hydr-
<br />powrr. Sl.l'lUll eOPileity r.omprispd 7;~ perecnt. A llmnl)('r of indust.rial
<br />p)nnts in t.he area hnye t,heil' OWl! gelwl'ittillg ~ystems which. j'omhined,
<br />ho\'(' un installed ('fl.pneit.y of about S.~,OO() kilowatts.
<br />24. The nOllcoincidcnt. penk deJllttnd for power in t,ll(~ ll11l.rket urea
<br />jn 1948 rellehed :300,000 kilowllt.ts-nhollt 12 percent more than t.he
<br />n('~. assured t'fl.pncit.\, of 267,000 kilowat,ts. }'orcensts indic.'atl' t.hat
<br />the dependable enpneity rcquin~rncnts will be about t):Y:~,OOO kilowatts
<br />by IWiO nnd 966,000 kilmmtts by 1970. Oil the basis of 1948 instnlla-
<br />t,ions, plus nIl kllown odd it-ions scheduled or projected, J(.ss nOfmlll or
<br />llPr.l'ssary ret.irement.s, the marl;;ct area will still have 11 dcficiency in
<br />powrr supply.
<br />2.1. As of i P50, easlern eoIol'neIo does not Ita ve n. high-voltage trans-
<br />mi::;.:;ion system intt~rconnecting all important, load centers. Ties of
<br />utilities to enahle interchange of power Hl'e essential for maximum
<br />effieiencv of scn"ice and ut,ilizntion.
<br />26. Afunicil'ul ",afer,~ Most of t,he Arkansils Valle,Y towns be.!ow
<br />Pueblo obtltiu mUllicipil] wnter from pumped wells, Other valley
<br />communities use water from streams and springs. In general, the
<br />qunlit.y is poor be9fiuse of excessive hrLfllness.
<br />.27. Colorado Springs obtains excellent water from the slopes of
<br />PIkes Peilk. The eity experienced water shortilges prior to 1937,
<br />3m"e then, its wilter storage capacit,y hilS be,m doubled and all service
<br />t'OlUlections huyc been metered. The eity has indicated an urgent
<br />need of 4,000 acre-feet of supplement.ill municipil[ water immediiltely
<br />nnd a probuble neen for an additional 16,000 ilere-feet by the year
<br />2000. In 1949, Colorado Springs st./trted nrilling tho Hoosier pass
<br />trllDsmountajn diversion tunnel which would import western slope
<br />water from the Blue Riyer. The cit.y has expressed interest. in
<br />obtaiuing supplemental mnnieipal wilt.cr from the initial development
<br />by exchange methods.
<br />28. Pueblo obtnins it.s municipal wflter from t.lw Arkansas River.
<br />During periods of low flows the wilt.er is of poor quality, Tbe water is
<br />relat.ively hard nud unpalatable. In 19:38, Pueblo aequired the
<br />Wurt.. ditch which import.s annually about 2,000 acre-feet of water
<br />from the west.ern slope. Much of a,e yield (rolli that transmountain
<br />projeet is lost to municipal uso for lack of storage space. The city
<br />"as indicated an immediate need for 5,000 aere-feet of municipill
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