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by the taxpayers of the District wherein it was overwhelmingly approved by a voting ratio of 17 to 1. On July 5, 1938, the Board authorized the execution of the contract. Essentially, the contract envisioned the development of a dual purpose pro..: ject-hydroelectric power generation and distribution o~ an estimated 310,000 acre-feet of water supply to the water users of the District area. The 1938 estimate of construction cost was approximately $45,000,000 with one-half of the coSt assigned to each of the two project purposes. The contract pro- vides that the District will repay the United States, over a 40-year period and without interest, one-half of the project construction cost". . . but not to exceed $25,000,000." The contract contained a precise list of all of the physical project features which the United States agreed to construct. Those works were then divided into three classes: (1) Power generation and distribution facilities; (2) Water distribution facilities; and (3) "joint works" which are best described as those reservoirs, tunnels, pumping plants, and conduits that are equally necessary t~ Olympus Dam Forming Lake Estes Water being released from Horse~ tooth Reservoir to Hansen Supply. Canal provide the collection system on the headwater.s of the Colorado River and to satisfy the primary project function~ of power generation and water distribution. By the contract terms, the United States retains, operates, and maintains all of the power features. The water distribution works are transferred to the Dis~ triet with the obligation for their perpetual care, operation, and maintenance. The United States is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the joint works, and the costs involved are shared equally by the u.s. and the District. In advance of the construction of the many project components, the Dis- trict acquired rights~of-way as required by the contract; collaborated with the Bureau of Reclamation in deciding upon the final location of the water supply distributing facilities; prepared the contract forms for use in allocating the 310,000 acre-feet of water supply to be developed by the project; and com- menced the taking of applications for water allotment contracts from indivi- dual farm owners, irrigation districts, irrigation companies, and municipalities, all within the District area. -In the spring of 1955, the District Board comple- ted the allotment of the entire project water supply under the several classes of contracts which are specifically authorized by Conservancy District law. Recognizing that the vagaries of climate will not permit a guaranteed quan- tity of water every year, the Board defined the acre-foot, in each and every allotment contract, as being" . .. 310~000 of the annual water supply made available by the Board for distribution." Thus, there was devised what has become known as the District's "quota" system whereby, in early April of each year, the Directors declare the availability of a water quantity varying from 60% to 100% of the 310,000 acre-foot units under contract. Declara- tion of a quota is made after a careful appraisal of the estimated total District demand for supplemental water supply. For the Board, this actually means a monthly examination and appraisal, January to April, of the status of water supply in the project system; carry-over storage in the reservoirs of the local systems in the four principal tributary basins of the South Platte; water supply forecasts from snow packs on the same tributaries; and current soil moisture conditions within the irrigated areas of the District. Portal Reservoir at outlet of Adams Tunnel 100_ "'- "'- ,,- " ~ , "-- " ~ < ,,- < " 0 ,,- " 0 " ,,- ~ "'- w_ 0- IRRIGATION MULTI-PURPOSE MUNICI!>AL, DOMESTIC Shadow Mountain Inlet and Lake