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<br />.- , , . ',~ '-, ~ ,.".1 "1': ~.;. '. I ':: .1;'~. <br /> <br />/' <br />. .~' <br /> <br />. <br />Hydro plant idea gets a boost <br /> <br />/~2... The Fruita Times. Jan. 15. 1986 <br /> <br />~ <br />b:i <br />Co <br />N <br />o <br />Q <br /> <br />The idea of a hydroelectric plant <br />using Fruita's Pinon Mesa water to <br />generate electric power was <br />advanced a step closer to actuality <br />Monday night, Jan. 13, when the <br />city council approved an agreement <br />with the Fruita Hydroelectric <br />Corporation. <br />The company was formed to study <br />the feasibility of the plant as a pro- <br />ject envisioned by several investors <br />from Glenwood Springs. The corpo- <br />ration desires to lease the water <br />from the city-owned reservoirs on <br />Pinon Mesa with a long-term Con- <br />tract for the phased development <br />and operation of hydroeletric <br />facilities. <br />Eric Jacobsen, one of the princi- <br />pals in the corporation. was present <br />at the council meeting to answer <br />some questions about the proposed <br />agreement. <br />According to the terms of the <br />agreement with the city. Fruita <br /> <br />ActountsPavable Dec.-85 <br /> <br />Vendor ........................ Amount <br />Jim Adams .......................75.00 <br />Armstrong arid Assllciales............ 165.75 <br />Arrow Trophies ....................18.49 <br />BigOTire.......................246.52 <br />Billings Auto Parts. Inc...............313.95 <br />CentraIOistribulingCo................22.50 <br />Certified Electric Suppl ............... 9.74 <br />Circle Auto Pans.... ..............157,42 <br />Cit.Count. Building Dep..............95,00 <br />Colofadll Commeffcal Swu ............97,92 <br />Compulertand ......................9.95 <br />The DiU!r Semmel................... 4.40 <br />Econocomm.......................84.4D <br />Fn.rila Consumers Coopera.............54.08 <br />Fruita Hardware & Sport...............4.23 <br />FruilaTimes .....................199.61 <br />Fruita Tire and Auto Ser .............. 5.00 <br />City of Grand Junction............. 1444.68 <br />KeffiAleneGobbo..................60.00 <br />GrandCleanersll..................79,50 <br />Grand Vallev Rural Power. ............33.37 <br />PeteHaller.......................50.00 <br />Bounai Hargrovl................... 58.42 <br />F1oVdHsllield.....................50.00 <br />Keeseckers Hardwalt ................6,58 <br />Jae lopez.......... ............. 44.40 <br />Mac'sTexacall....................52.90 <br />Mavenck Camputer Enter. .............75.00 <br />Mesa Counly Animal Contr ............22.60 <br />Mesa Automotive Plaza...............25.60 <br />Mesa Bearing .....................14.29 <br />Mesa County School Oist. .............56,00 <br />Modem Auto Salvage ...............15.00 <br />Mt. BeU'fefephone Ca. ..............256.90 <br />PallericksOistribuling...............23,40 <br />Mayo.rRoben POUllC~ .............. 125.00 <br />PraUen.Williams. Caebl ............300.00 <br />Public Service Company ............2841.78 <br />R.C.C. Pump Service ................ 50.00 <br />JudySaunders....................50.00 <br />KathySchulte....................107.20 <br />SirSpeedy......;...............26.10 <br />Errol Emmerson Snider ..............400.00 <br />SteinerCorpolalion.................69.72 <br />Tamar Renl Tampkins...............116.80 <br />Don Tonell .. ....................475.00 <br />Neil Trip ..... ..................250.00 <br />TuxaIlUniforms....................36.79 <br />U.S.Weldmg.lnc........;..........23.70 <br />Ute Waler ConservancyOi...........1247.98 <br />Jack Dean VanArsdol .............. 400.00 <br />WeslernSJopeFord ................14.03 <br />WesternSlopeWeldlOgSu.............6.25 <br />HankWiIIlams.....................50.00 <br />William Baird .....................50.00 <br />Slg R. Manufaclunng & OJ ...........128,75 <br />...........................10822.36 <br /> <br />Publish. <br />FrUlta Times <br />Frulta.Colo <br />Jan_15.1986 <br /> <br />MargaretSteeJman <br />CltvCJert <br /> <br />Hydroelectric Corporation plans <br />first to study and evaluate the cost- <br />effectiveness of using the city's <br />water for producing electricity. The <br />study is to be divided into three com- <br />ponents, each covering a specific <br />geographic location and using a spe- <br />cific time frame. <br />In phase one. the area from the <br />Colorado River to. the base of the <br />Colorado National Monument will <br />be studied to determine the feasibil- <br />ity of developing a small scale <br />hydroelectric project in the imme- <br />diate future using the city's present <br />collection, storage and distribution <br />system. <br />In phase two, the city's pipeline <br />from the base of the Colorado Monu- <br />ment through Glade Park to the <br />city's Pinon Mesa reservoirs will be <br />inspected and studied to determine <br />the feasibility of increasing the <br />capacity of the line, and eventualy <br />expanding the small scale hydroe- <br />lectric proj,ect studied in phase one. <br />In phase three, the area at the <br />base of Pinon Mesa known as Oak Control Act which provided for the <br />Hill will be evaluated to determine Secretary of Interior to "enter into <br />feasibility of a second hydroelectric agreements with the Secretary of <br />facility there. Agriculture to develop a unified <br />The corporation plans to use exist- control plan for the Grand Valley <br />ing data on the annual watershed Unit." <br />yield and pipeline capacity of the An amendment to the Act pro- <br />city's present water system. It also vided for "a non-Federal entity to <br />plans to conduct a thorough on.site organize private canals and lateral <br />inspection or the city's present owners into rormal organizations <br />water system and do an economic wilh which thQ S<,cTt'tar}" ma}"entcr <br />feasibility analysis using current into a Krant or contract toconstrucl. <br />market data. operate and maintain a unit's <br />As far as possible thc corporation facilities." <br />will not duplicate nor interfere with B In order' Rio I achi~ve bthis. t~e <br />ureau 0 ec amatlOn eg-an In <br />June of 1982 toorganize water users <br />~]ong laterals into groups. Under a <br />grant from the BuRec, the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board assumed <br />responsibility for organizing the <br />individual lateral owners into legal <br />contracting bodies. <br />(Some of the lateral owners had <br />already formed corporations. Mar. <br />cus Fry points out.) <br />This organizing is what led to the <br />involvement of the Grand Valley <br />Irrigation Co. which operates the <br />Grand Valley Hi~hline Canal. the <br />Mesa County Canal. the Mainline <br />Canal. the Ranchmen's Canal and <br />the Kiefer Extension Canal, all <br />serving a multitude of laterals. <br />According to the Waldeck report, <br />the GVI operates canals serving <br />more irrigated lands than anyofthe <br />other canals in the valley. <br />GVI ran into trouble with its <br />members when it tried to pass the <br />bylaws amendment that would give <br />it authority to acquire ownership of <br />the laterals. Fry likens the situation <br />to the canal company deciding it <br />should own his car, and then just <br />taking it. <br />How could they do that? <br />The authority comes from the <br />long.standing principle of eminent <br />domain. According to the Waldeck <br />report. GVI is vested by law "with <br />the power of eminent domain to <br />acquire property and interests the- <br />rein necessary for any lawful pur- <br />pose connected with operations of <br /> <br />December 1985 <br />AccovnlsPald <br /> <br />Vendar ...... ........... ...... ...Amount <br />SlaleoICalorado..................112608 <br />lorenP.Hobor....................1250.00 <br />Cola.WalerConservalian............30709.26 <br />Maverick CampulltEnler. .............650,00 <br />Mrs. Federal..................... 5281.34 <br />Fitll-PolicePn'ianAssO'...........2027.76 <br />U.S.PastOflic......................154.56 <br />M.P.H.lnduSlnes ..................... 4693 <br />Public ServfC. COmp...'.............. 1630,06 <br />Mt. 8e11TllepbaneCo. ...............248.89 <br />BrOWlN~hrnslnduslli..............3656,00 <br />St.I.ofCololldo...................96404 <br />Mil. Fedelll ......................500.00 <br />MI, C.rmll Credil Unian ..............225.00 <br />CI.rkofTheDisllictClI...............l00.00 <br />FruilISl.lll!ank...................169252 <br />U.S.PosfDHice.....................l00.00 <br />Mn.fick Compuler Enter. .............. 56.1J1J <br />StllTeotColor.da..................1113,99 <br />ROCkyMounlalnHMO.lnc...............31.63 <br />Cit.aIFruil.........................51.00 <br />Manin OFallon....................... 49,01J <br />MlSaFed.r.I...................139718.17 <br />Jim Dolf ........................... 72.00 <br />Micbael Smedler...,................. 71J,13 <br />PenrCash-AmliIIDfl...............16786 <br />Pen.Cnh-Admllllsllatian............2.7.33 <br />UlryAUlnskl......................600.1J0 <br />PenrCash-PohceOepI/D_ ............73,30. <br />ladoonaJo Smilh ................... 292.37 <br />Clerkolth.O'SlficlCo... ...........100.00 <br />Ml. Carmel Credit UllIon ..............22500 <br />firl-PolicIPensionAsSll............2027.16 <br />Muafeder.I....................11J857.18 <br />Muahderal.... ........11101139 <br />.......217216,15 <br /> <br />Publish <br />F'u.I.T.mes <br />flU'la.Cola <br />Jan 15.1986 <br /> <br />Margarel Sleehllln <br />C,I,Cllrk <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />studies being done for the city's <br />master plan by Armstrong Engi- <br />neers, according to the proposed <br />agreement. <br />The study is to be done without <br />cost to the city of Fruita. If the cor- <br />poration decides it is not cost- <br />effective to proceed with the project <br />or if it abandons the study, the eva- <br />luation and data gathered will <br />become the property of the city. <br />According to the agreement the <br />city agrees not to use the evaluation <br />data produced by the corporation <br />for any purpose competititve to the <br />corporation so long as it has an <br />interest in development or opera- <br />tion of the project. <br />Mayor Bob Pollock had a question <br />for Jacobsen about this part of the <br />agreement, noting "the city might <br />have other uses for the water" and <br />did not want it to be tied up. <br />Jacobsen pointed out that this only <br />applied to the use of the water for <br /> <br />hydroelectric power. As far as oth. <br />ers were concerned. "There's no <br />problem so long as they're not doing <br />the same thing we're doing," <br />Jacobsen said. <br />Pollock also asked if the water <br />line down from the mesa would be <br />pressure-tested since that might <br />damage the old line. <br />Jacobsen agreed that the line <br />beteen the treatment plant and <br />Pinon Mesa "won't hold any pres- <br />sure at all. Essentially it's just a <br />cast-iron ditch." He assured the <br />mayor "we're not going to do any- <br />thing where there's any possibility <br />of destructive testing." <br />He added that the corporation <br />would look into the cost of replacing <br />the line up to the mesa for eventu- <br />ally pressurizing that line. <br />A motion to approve the agree- <br />ment was made by Council Member <br />Jim Adams. The vote was unanim- <br />ous in favor of the motion. <br /> <br />Water grab, continued from page 3. <br /> <br />the company." <br />The company may not want to <br />exercise that authority. The Wal- <br />deck report noted that GVI's board <br />of directors "has consistently <br />adhered to the position that the com. <br />pany did not wish to become <br />involved in the operation and main. <br />tenance of laterals..' <br />At this "'rililllllhc mmflan.\' nrri- <br />ciab rcporl tht')' na\'t,,' hll a Rnn...: <br />with .'hi~her echelons" o{ lhc {ed- <br />eral bureaucracy, specifically those <br />operatin~ out of Salt Lake City. and <br />have "put the matter on hold" for the <br />time bein~. <br />Major differences cropped up at a <br />meetinR on Jan. 8 between the local <br />officials and those from Salt Lake. <br />Bertrand told The Ti meso Conse- <br />quently, it was decided no further <br />action should be taken until these <br />matters could be ironed out. <br />He hinted that it could even result <br />in the irri~ation company backing <br />away from the deal altogether as the <br />organizin~ body for the lateral <br />owners. <br />Would this mean a victory for the <br />farmers who oppose this effort at <br />federal control? <br />Partly, and then probably only as <br />a temporary ~ain. There are other <br />entities in the valley with the same <br />power of eminent domain, and some <br />of these are discussed in the Wal- <br />deck report. One such organization <br />is the Ute Water Conservancy <br />District. <br />One farmer admitted the likeli. <br />hood of defeat as far as maintainin~ <br />control is concerned but added. <br />"We'll make 'em pay throug-h the <br />nose." And in fact, considering the <br />economic plight of most farmers in <br />the area Renerally. this resu]tmight <br />even provide an escape valve. <br />"Some will just pick up their mar- <br />bles and run," said this longtime <br />farmer who asked not to be identi- <br />fied. "As it is, if they could just !tet <br />enouRh out of the ~overnment to Ret <br />the bank off their back, they'd leave <br />this valley in a minute." <br /> <br />~ <br />