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1 ~ , "., I' ........ .J..i;. v . or facilities sball be designed, constructed and operated in such a manner that the present appropriations, of water, and in addition thereto prospective uses of water for irrigation and other beneficial consumptive-use purposes, including consumptive uses for domestic, mining and industrial purposes, within the natural basin of the Colora.4o River in the State of Colorado, from which water is exported, will not be impaired nor increased in cost at the expense of the water users within the said natural basin; and that the facilities and other means for the accomplishment of said purpose shall be incorporated in, and made a part of, any project plans for the exportation of water from said natural basin in Colorado. " . Although the original operating principles were intended to acbieve full agreement on all aspects of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project within the state, it became apparent during COngressional hearings that western slope interests objected to tbe project plan, particularly concerning Aspen Dam and Reservoir. As 8 result, in 1958 the Colorado Water Conservation Board instigated consideration of a substitute replacement reservoir for the Aspen feature. The Board requested the Bureau of Reclamation to undertake sucb studies and contributed funds and personnel to finance and assist in the investigations. Various alternative reservoir sites were considered. All of them except the Ruedi site were rejected because of geologic, water supply, or other limitations. The Bureau of Reclamation had previously made preliminary investigations of the Rued! site as an alternative for the Aspen site and as a potential feature of the now obsolete Blue-South Platte Project investigation. ConSiderable engineering and hydrologic data were available on the Ruedi site from these earlier studies. The geology and water supply conditions at the Ruedi site permit the development of a larger reservoir than was contemplated above Aspen; hence, the plan for Ruedi provides for e. reservoir or approximately 100,000 acre-feet of storage capacity as contrasted with 28,000 acre-feet in Aspen Dam and Reservoir. Ruedi Reservoir, therefore, will not only meet the replacement requirements of the Fryingpan-Arkanaas Pl'oject bllt will provide an additional regulated water supply for other uses on the western slope. Following selection of the Ruedi site, the Colorado Water Conservation Board reconstituted a Policy and Review Committee for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project on January 14, 1959. The committee consisted of representatives of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, . 4