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<br />'3 ?o11 <br /> <br />FRYING PAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO <br /> <br />36. Stream' pollution has not reaehed dangerous or serious pro- <br />portions in the ArkRnslls Valle.v, The most noticeable elfect,s of <br />industrial pollution are found below Leadville as a result of mine <br />drainage and tailings. <br />:37. Fishing- is n. summer sport of consideruble finoncial significance <br />in the. diversion area and in the upper Arkansas Valley. The Fish <br />and Wil,llife Scrviee has prepared a preliminary re.port on the subjeet <br />and bas made tent.n.t.ive recomnllmdrttions concerning minimum flows <br />needed to preserve fishery values in the diversion t(,l'en.. The projeet <br />has beon so pltUl1led and opcrnting rules hn.Ye been so fonnulated as <br />to prcv{~nt t,he diversion of water \>"Thieh would reullt:e t,h(' flows below <br />the specifieu minimuIll. Continued studies of the requirements of <br />the fishery resources are needed to develop ndinements under the <br />terms of the oponl..ting rules. <br />as. The mountainous portions of both slopes of the project areR- <br />and espccitllJ.\~ the diversion lll'ea--combin€ such dcsirauJe qunlities <br />as scenic att.rnctiveness. wilderness character, remoteness, wflter for <br />fisbing~ find skiing facilities. Consequent.ly 1 t,he)' arc importnut <br />recreational areas at all seasons. The Nat.ionnl Pn.rk Service bas <br />.made a preliminary report, on the project. area and on the recreat.ional <br />aspects of the init.ial development. Its recommendations will be <br />Jollowed to the fullest extent possible. <br /> <br />PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT <br /> <br />39. The init.ial developmrnt is keyed t.o trnnsmountnin diversion of <br />water from t,he Colorado River drainage eastwnrd to the upper <br />Arkansas River Valley. The di\~el'ted wnter and reregulated native <br />eastern slope wnt,er would pl'oyidf' for supplementul irrigat.ion. furnish <br />supplemental and new supplies of mUllicipuJ water, and enable the <br />generation of hydroelectric power. Other multiple-purpose uspects <br />of t.he project. include flood nnd sediment control, stream pollut.ion <br />abntelllent, uncI fish find wildlife conservl1t.ion. All estimates. specifi- <br />cat.ions, 8-nd dpscl'iption of features are necessarily preliminary and <br />subject to some lllOdifieittion anJ refinement when det.uiled data <br />become~ avuiluble. . <br />40. As a result of t.he diversion of wat.er from the Colorado River <br />Basin, this potent.ial initial development is consistent with the pur- <br />poses of the Colorndo River st.OJ'flge. project. 'j he extent of its rela- <br />tionship to the upper Colorado Ri,'cr Basin development nnd to the <br />upper Arkflnsns River Busin development. cun be more firmly est.ab- <br />lishe,l as those developments proceed. In its pian for the C:olorndo <br />River storage projec.t t.he Burcnu of Reclamat.ion contempll1te~ at <br />lt~nst six major regulatory reservoirs in the upper Colorado Rn'"er <br />Basin. The need. for th~~ storage projcc.t stems from t.he compacts <br />pertuining to Colorndo lEvel' waters. The Colorado River compact <br />apportions t,he use of 7.5 million acre-feet of \Vater nnnuolly to the <br />upper Colo1'1ldo Hive,. Busin. It nJso providps thot the Stute~ of <br />the upper division (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah. and Wyommg) <br />will not cause the flO\\.' of the river at Lee Ferry, Ariz., to be deplct.ed <br />belO'\~ an aggregat.e of 75 million tlero~fcc-t for any period of 10,c0I1- <br />Se-cutLve years. This rompuct wus signed November 24, ]922, and <br />made effcr.t.ive pllrSlIflDt to the terms of the Boulder CRnyon Act. <br />rrhe upper ,ColonHlo. River compact. in turn apportions t.he US? of <br />Colorado RIver \Vfiter to t,he four States anu.Arizonli, and prOVIdes <br />