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-.-- ," .~ (' -- Lt:..I.J,":'. _____ -,-- Chapter I.~-Introduction The potential Gunnison-Arkansas Project in west-central, csntral, and southeastern Colorado," is being dsveloped around the initial plan rf diverting unallocated waters from the upper Roaring Fork River Basin through the Continental Divide to the Arkansas Valley on the Eastern Slope. The Initial tevelopment, as shown on exhibit24, would consist of a series of dams, reservoirs. canals, tunnels, hydroelectric power- plants. and other features for the diversion and'utilization of diverted waters and excess fl,ood flows of the Arkansas River. The multiple- purpose project would provide supplemental irrigation water, municipal water, power production, flood control; sediment retention, drainage, wildlife protection and propogation, and recreation. All diverted water would be used within the State of Colorado. .. The Initial Develormcnt could be expanded into a I-'aximum Gravity Diversion project provided water from the Colorado River drainaGe basin were made available for diversion by 'Jpper States Corrpact nGreement. Expansion of the Initial Development, discussed in Chapter 5, would involve the diversion to the Eastern Slope of unallocated water from the Gunnison River Basin and additional water from the Roaring Fork River Basin, thereby increasinG_the benefits which could be obtained with the Initial Development. In addition, sufficient water would be made avail~ble ~or the irrigotion of thousands of acres of new lnnd~ The Initinl Development would involve an avera(c diversion of 59,600 acre-fect of water annually from the Fryingpan River and its tributaries exclusive of the Rusk-Ivanhoe diversion of 5,000 acre-feet. The water would be intercepted ~bove elev~tion 10,000 feet, and conveyed through "the C.ont"irieritiD. Divide by means of tunn'6ls to an' e-nlarged Sugar Loaf Reservoir (Turquoise Lake) on Lake Fork of the Arkansas River 3.5 miles north',vest of Lc"dville. "btor from the East and Tennessee Forks of the Arkansas River would also be diverted into Sugar Loaf Reservoir for stor- a~e and regul~tion along with the Fryingpan water. Rele~ses from the powerplant rrt Sugar Loaf Res8rvoir would flow through the Elbert Power Canal to generate power in Elbert Powerpl~t, the tailrace of which would be in the enlar, ed Twin Lakes Reservoir on Lake Creek, 12 milos south 0 f Leadville. Addition~l w~ter would be diverted into Tvnn Lnkes Reservoir from the Arkansas River near Snowden. Water released from Twin Lakes Resorvoir would be conveyed by tho Arkansas Fower Canal, roughly parallel to the hrkansas River, to Salidr~,' Fore wnter would be iriterccpted from the Arkansas River en route. POW9r would ,be gcnerat~d at the various powerplants along the canal. At the Salida Powerpl~nt the water would be returned to the Arkansas Ri~er ,to flow dovm the river channel to the __,.__..Jl.otentir:tl1'.ueblo Reservoir to.Jl,,-~tored for relcase when n"eded.J:."-,=--__ ____" " irrigation nnd municipal uses. 1