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. i:," ~) '0 . Adequate releases of this higher quality water will be made to the stream below the dam to maintain an improved stream fishery. With this and the high quality fishing an~icipated in the project reservoirs,. the Fish and Wildlife Serviceestimates an additional 42,000 man-days of fishing annually will develop with the project. The plan also provides for development of a waterfowl production area by the Fish and Wildlife Service at the upper end of Ridgway Reservoir in the area that may otherwise have a mud-flat appearance. Space will be provided in Ridgway Reservoir to catch the high flood flows of the Uncompahgre River that have in the past caused considerable damage to property and facilities in the valley between Ridgway anq Delta, Colorado. ,.. It is understood there may be some concern in the area that Ridgway Reservoir may inundate the community cemetery. Ridgway Cemetery is located about 1-1/2 miles west of the Ridgway Reservoir maximum high water line and, the Portland Cemetery, along the highway between Ridgway and Ouray, is about 2 miles south of the upper limits of the reservoir. These cemeteries would in no way be affected by the project reservoirs. ,:~? ;<':-~ r'.<'" ~. ." , !.~~~:- Abandonme~t of the railroad facili~ at Ridgway are not anti~ipated. Project plans ~rovide for relocation of the terminal facilities frOm the town of Ridgway to a point below Ridgway dam, about 1.5 miles from the present 10cati6n, and a net cost of about $260,000 has been included in the project,cost estimates for relocation of these facilities. :The new terminal f~cilities should have a higher assessed valuation th4n the old existi~g facilities. It has been explained to the residents of Ridgway and other. i property ownerS within the reservoir basins :that they will be adequately compensated for the right-of-way, both individual and community property, required for project construction. On June '9, 1965, one of several public meetings was h~ld in Ridgway for discussions and recommendations by Ridgway residents concerning the proposed location of the reservoi~ and relocation or ~eestablishment of the town of Ridgway. The mayor aid about 50 residents of the town participated in the meeting. They all expressed support for the project and many of them were in favor of relocati~g the town to the east or north of the new lake when it became a reality; Attached is a copy of the resolution passed unanimously by the towq residents at that meeting. <:'-.>1,; ~;~;r;~ ~ .-.-t As indicated in the second attachment, project development wo~ld increase the assessed valuation of taxable property in Ouray County by about $2,000,000 and would increase the personal income in the : area by over $$,000,000 per year. This would have a very beneficiAL economic effect on Ouray County and the surrounding area.