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3 9 2;kYINGPAN-AllKANSAS P1l0JECr, COLORADO "23 provided in the payul('llt. COllt,roct or cont.racts. The right.~ t.o :::;tore water in A~pen Re~cr"'oir under the applien.blc laws uf the Sto.te of Colorado shall be initiated and acquired by 81ld hclrl ill the nUlllC of the United StRles pursuant to those l.'&ws. 17. To assure project operat.ion in cnnfoTlILif,y wit,h t.he operating principles heretofore stat.ell, to provide a means for t.J'c colleet.ion And intNehangc of hlror":' malion, Rlld to provirle a method for the continued ~tlldy of project. operations to the end that, if the stated opcrat.itlg prillciples llIay be improved upon, recommen- dations (or changes may he nHlrle to the contrac/.ing pl/,rth~~, .!l c011l1ni.'lsillll :,:Iha.]] be creatp-ct ill an appropriate manlier to be ('oruW):'icd of one r~pre.':':f'-ntat.ive of the Eastern Colorado COll~CrVfl.ncY Dh:;trict, aile rcpre~enta.t.i\'e of t.he Colorado River Water COm':crvat.ioll Dist.rict.: two rC:Jrcsellt,at.i\'e~ of the United States, and one representative of t.he St.nte of Colorado appointed by the Colorado Water COIl- 8ervst.ion Boarrl 8ft,(~r consultat,ion wit,h t.he Colorado Gamc and Fish Commission. The pO......er.~ of ~lIch commission slll1l\ be limited to the coHeetion of data. the making of finding:-; of fact., alld the ~llggestion of changcs ill opera.ting principle!". CONCLUSIONS ~ 75. The waters of the Arkansas River in the Colorado portion of the upper Arkn.nsas River Basin are overapPl'opriated. Serious distress is caused to tho economy of the basin in short water years through lOSR in CI'Op production. SlIppleme.lit.al irrigation. water supplies are np{~ded. The l1ddit.ional nop production would find a ready market in the urhnn centers of Colorado and the N "tion. 76. No new sources of wa.ter within tIw means of t.he municipalities and industries are apparent. Present. municipal supplies, even o.fter substantial acquisition of irrigation right.s, are bare.ly adequate to supply existing requirement". AdditioIllll quantity and better quality of water are critically needed. 77. Normal usps of electric ~nergy would expftnd rapidly in' the power lllarket "rell if not restricted by a limited supply it....,Resource development would be encouraged if energy were availalJ~ in plen- tiful supply. '. 78. Floods in the upper Arkansas Valley thre"ten the 1099 of prop- erty and discourag-e investm.ent.. Sediment deposition chokes chan- nds, incrcllses flood threats, and raises mnintrnance costs of e~xt,engive irrigation systems. Stream pollution threatens hcalth and destroys fish hllbitat.. }'Iood, sedimeut, and pollut.ion coutrol would lower costs [lod rcrnove threats. i9. Recreat.ional, fisb, and wildJiCfl resources arc vnhmbJe a.sset~ of Colomdo and of the Nation. These resom.ees should be protected and enhanced to the greatest ext.ent practicable. 80. Misuse of forests and mnges reduces production and con- tribllte~ to the sedimentation of stream..;;;. Tailings from mines add to the silt burdell and pollution of otherwise usable water supplies. Better management pl'lletices mid silt preveution methods should be cncow'uged. . .8~ '81. The initial deveJ~plIlent of the Gur:nison-Ark,,~~as,;:pr<iject would supply the mISt pressmg and llnmedlate needs of the' Upper Arkansas River Bo.siI'i'! 8_", "J.e'd,iverSion area has a plentiful supply of wste,r, part of which coul, ibly be diverted without det,.jpent to that are" or to down- str 'ers. Although all possibleJfli.'ture wat.er fE'lluirements for the e western slope ha,e not mn,.fully determil",d, it is con- clude.,Dhat there is an adequate water suppl., from Colorado's allocated share of the Colorado River Basin water for the proposed jfr.