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<br />Butte will be limited to five miles per hour to minimize disrup.
<br />tion of wildlife habitat and provide an area where smail, non.
<br />motorized boats wiil not be exposed to conflict with the.faster
<br />boats. For access to isolated and scenic areas around the reser~
<br />voirs, 26 miles of trails fo{ non~motorized use will-be cortstructed:
<br />The trails will lead to such sites as the north side of Juniper
<br />Reservoir, along the rim on the south side of :Cross Mduntain
<br />Canyon, on the south side of Cross Mountain Reservoir) along the
<br />rim from Jun.iper ~eservojr to the summit of Ljdle ]unipe-r
<br />Mountain and to the top of Signal Butte. A paved parking lot for
<br />30 cars and seven recreation vehicles will b~ conslructed near the
<br />site of the Cross Mountain Dam self.guiding interpretive cen.
<br />ter. One of the picnic areas andrestrooms will also be at that
<br />location.
<br />80th reservoirs are expected to have much warmer water
<br />temperatures than most other reservoirs in the region. Water
<br />quality wiil be good and free of nuisance level algae. Thus, both
<br />should provide fine swimming, which will be ailowed in both
<br />reservoirs. However, there will be no designated swimming areas
<br />and no lifeguards. Ice fishing and ice skating will be ail owed
<br />where deemed safe and snowmobiling will be ail owed on un.
<br />plowed access roads and on the lakes. Access roads and parking
<br />areas will be phased in. The first phase calls for seven parking
<br />areas of nine spaces each and one mile of new access road. Due to
<br />fluctuations, the seven.river-mile-stretch between juniper Dam and
<br />the upper end of Cross Mountain Reservoir will not be suitable
<br />for recreational uses. Maximum drawdowns of juniper and Cross
<br />Mountain reservoirs across the three-month recreation season will
<br />be 16 and six feet respectively. The drawdown is not expected to
<br />interfere with recreation facilities which will be sited for.function
<br />regardless of the reservoir level. Generally, the lower elevation,
<br />longer, more gradual shoreline; larger size and warmer waters of
<br />Juniper-Cross Mountain are expected to make it a mecca for
<br />outdoor recreation in the region.
<br />Fishing
<br />Currently, trout are rarely found below Craig due to unsuit.
<br />able habitat. Fishing in the area is considered poor due to low
<br />diversity of sports fish and poor access. Creation of the reservoirs
<br />will provide a much larger and more productive sports fishery
<br />than the river even without management. However, the River
<br />District is committed to working with Colorado Division of
<br />Wildlife and other appropriate agencies to develop the reservoirs
<br />as excellent sports fisheries. Food base in the reservoirs is ex-
<br />pected to be exceptional and geared to higher organisms or open
<br />water feeding fishes .as opposed to bottom feeding fishes. Thus,
<br />such fish as rainbow trout and gizzard shad should thrive while
<br />potential nuisance species such as carp and white suckers are
<br />unlikely to become abundant. Reservoir fluctuations will limit
<br />most of the undesirable fish species and some game fish. How-
<br />ever, the reservoirs have the potential for being managed as cold
<br />water fisheries for such species as rainbow trout and coho salmon;
<br />warm water fisheries for such species as walleye and bass or a
<br />combination of the two. The ultimate determination will be made
<br />by the Colorado Division of Wildlife after a survey of the needs
<br />and wants of area fishermen. A study of the anticipated reservoir
<br />water quality, food supplies and air and water temperatures
<br />resulted in a projection that the two. reservoirs will be able to
<br />support 200,000 fishermen days per year with an annual harvest
<br />of some 250,000 pounds.
<br />Rafting
<br />The proposed operating criteria for Cross Mountain Dam, the
<br />downstream dam that will serve to re.regulate the river, calls for
<br />minimum releases of 200 cfs or a greater amount to provide a
<br />minimum flow of 500 cfs in the Yampa River just below its
<br />confluence with the Little Snake River, based on the current
<br />historic flow of the Little Snake. (The Litile Snake confluence is
<br />about five miles below Cross Mountain Dam.) In consideration
<br />of rafters downstream, the operating criteria has been amended
<br />to provide a minimum flow of 1,800 cfs just below the Little
<br />Snake confluence during the months of May, June and July,
<br />'~ainJ based on current historic Little Snake: flows. However, flow.
<br />records for the 28.year period ending in 1978 indicate that on
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<br />the average, flows for the months of April, May, June and July
<br />would range between 2,120 and 5,000 cfs. Besides the efficiency
<br />_ losse-s in operations due to this commitment, increased project
<br />costas a result of the increased capacity of the Cross Mountain
<br />Dam outlet works to assure the 1,800 cfs is approximately
<br />$200,000. Since few people boat on the river in what will be the
<br />project area, impact. to boating, if any, will be on the 20,000
<br />boating days per year estimated by toe Park Service for Dinosaur
<br />National. Monument downstream,' as compared with 500,000
<br />recreation d~ys, that win be-created in,the project area.-
<br />. HYDROELECTRIC. Hydroe]e.ctric power is. produced by
<br />using falling water to turn turbines. Reservoir water backed up
<br />behind a hydroelectric dam functions as a battery providing the
<br />only economically feasible method of virtually instantaneous
<br />power generation. As such, hydroelectric power is even more
<br />valuable when operated as a peaking power facility during hours
<br />of peak electrical demand which cannot be met as quickly by coal
<br />or nuclear generating stations. Hydroelectric for peak demand
<br />operated in conjunction with coal.fired plants meeting base load
<br />demand, is the most efficient power generating combination in
<br />existence. Hydroelectric power is the only commercially viable
<br />form of energy production that generates no air or water pol-
<br />lution. With energy conservation a national goal and water
<br />conservation a way of life in the West, hydroelectric power gen-
<br />eration is the only commercially feasible method that consumes
<br />no water and consumes no energy while it produces energy.
<br />Because hydroelectric plants consume no fuel and require little
<br />maintenance, ultimate energy cost to the consumer is lower and
<br />not subject to the rigors of inflation that affect other power
<br />sources.
<br />In 1974, 19 sites throughout Western Colorado went through
<br />an engineering analysis. juniper-Cross Mountain was determined
<br />to be the best natural storage area in Colorado. All required flow
<br />releases from Cross Mountain will be used to generate power. At
<br />Juniper, all water will be used to generate power except for a
<br />25 cfs minimum release and the water used to fulfill the decrees
<br />of the Maybell Irrigation District. Juniper will be operated with-
<br />out restriction and may be used for peaking power, for system
<br />regulation to match generation with system load and as reserve
<br />capacity to replace generating systems taken out of service for
<br />routine maintenance. Cross Mountain will be limited to a rate of
<br />discharge of not more than 45 percent in a 3D-minute period.
<br />With a 148 megawatt capacity and the limitations on Cross, the
<br />entire project can provide a peak of 98 megawatts on demand
<br />and 148 megawatts in 2)1, hours. Juniper will have a 23-foQt
<br />diameter tunnel with two penstocks leading to a semi.indoor
<br />power house at the left abutment below the foot of the dam.
<br />The power plant will include two 38.megawatt and two 11-
<br />megawatt generators. Cross Mountain will have a 17.foot pen-
<br />stock leading to an underground powerhouse in the left abutment
<br />immediately downstream of the dam. Power plant includes two
<br />19-megawatt units and two 6-megawatt units. The entire output
<br />of Juniper-Cross can be effectively utilized by Colorado.Ute
<br />Electric Association in its service area. Currently, 98 percent
<br />of the Colorado.Ute system is coal.fired with the balance hydro.
<br />electric. In the peak load of 1985, Colorado-Ute will need 250
<br />megawatts of fast response power generation. Only 24 megawatts
<br />is now available.
<br />CUL TU RAL. Man's presence in the J uniper-Cross Mountain
<br />region has b~en traced back to 11 ,000 B.C. and efforts will
<br />be made to preserve that record, up to and including the pro-
<br />ject itself. A history of the area, artifacts and a description
<br />of the project will be included in the $250,000 Cross Mountain
<br />Dam interpretive center. The history and artifacts will come, in:
<br />part, from a detailed archeological field survey at an estimated
<br />$130,000 cost plus an undetermined number of test excavations
<br />at $5,000 per site. An $11,500 palentology study and monitoring
<br />program is also anticipated. Throughout the plann.ing and con.
<br />struction process, great care has been taken to both feature and
<br />protect the beauty and geology of the area. Some $200,000 has
<br />been added to the cost of the transmission lines within the proj-
<br />ect to site them so they will blend into the background and for
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