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<br />'r,' i . <br />,j..,'oj".' ,l'I ~{' ''-''.' <br />-. I tJ r;....~n., . <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />It would rise 135 feet above the riverbed and stretch 350 feet across <br />the valley. At hirh water line the reservoir would extend to the con- <br />fluence of the South and ilain Forks of the river. Approximately 000 <br />acres of land would be inundated of which (00 are private. The r~servoir <br />would hold up to 44,000 acre-feet. No date has been offered by Public <br />Service Company as to scheduled conpletion of the project. <br /> <br />Desienation of the lower seglilent of the Ell; River would prohibit con- <br />struction of the dam and reservoir. Currently the 10l"er seement is <br />defined as that portion of the Ell< River between the Colorado !ligh\"ay <br />129 bridge and the !linBan Park bridee. In order to fully include the <br />proposed reservoir area in one segment of the river, the lower se~'ent <br />,,,ill be redefined to extend upstream from the I1innan Park I1ridre to the <br />confluence of the South and r.lain Forks. As a result, Public Service <br />Company options to construct a dan ,!ill be entirely foreclosed if this <br />segHent is designated as recreational, or retained if it is not designatec). <br /> <br />Other Concerns <br /> <br />The major concerns of the public meetings have been discussed above. <br />Other concerns included the effect of a ,,,ild, scenic, or recreational <br />river on water rights, mineral rights, an", restrictions of recreation <br />and grazing use on National Forest System lands within the corridor. <br />Increased river use if designation occurs 'Ias often f:lentioned, usually <br />by landowners and in conjunction with easesents. <br /> <br />As a result of the Reetings two itelns will be inCluded as criteria used <br />to evaluate alternatives. The first criterion is the inpact of designa- <br />tion on private rights of individuals,and the other is consideration of <br />safety hazards caused by additional use. <br /> <br />l'nlere does the study go from here? <br /> <br />After considerine the input received at the meetines, and returned by <br />those who did not attend, the tean >Iill analyze the effects of implementinp, <br />each alternative. This analysis, with evaluation and recor1~endation by <br />the Forest Service and Colorado Department of Natural Resources, will be <br />published in the draft 11ild and Scenic ~i ver Study /leport and Draft <br />Environmental Stater:\ent (DES).. This doconent will probably be published <br />in early 1970, and there will be a 90 day revie,', period during "Ihich the <br />public and governnent agencies !<lay COlll!:lent on the report and environnental <br />statement. Public COMment will be considered in both these docunents <br />before they are revised into final forn. <br /> <br />Once final, the study report and Final Environnental Stateuent are <br />forwarded to the President of the United States "ho will submit his <br />recolTIHendation to Conr,ress in a bill. At that time, your opinion as <br />expressed to your Congressman will be very important. <br /> <br />If Congress adds the river to the systen, there will be a one-year <br />period after inclusion for a mana~enent plan to be developed for the <br />river. Public involvement ,";11 be sou~ht to determine how all interested <br />individuals and organizations suggest the river should be managed. <br /> <br />6 <br />