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l. '. . , 1052 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENl' OF THE INl'ERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE R2-RBS OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW llEllCO P. O. BOX 1306 September 9, 1949 Mr. Ben F. Powell Area Engineer Bureau of Reclamation P. O. Box 515 Pueblo, Colorado Dear Mr. Powell I '. Reference is made to your letter dated August 3, 1949, which briefly outlined certain past actions concerning planning for the poten- tial Gunnison-Arkansas Project, Colorado, and pointed out the desirability of having either a report cy the Fish and Wildlife Service or a statement of Service interests in the project. You advised that there are mazv in- terests in the State, including the Colorado State Water Board, who are anxious to have the views of the Fish and Wildlife Serivce before them at the next meeting of the Policy and Review Committee. In our reply to your letter referred to above, dated August 12, 1949, we indicated that our report on this project would not be available until after October IS, and, in the interim, we would furnish a brief. statement of Service interests in the project. The following paragraphs constitute our statement. It is our understanding that the initial phase of the Gunnison- Arkansas Project is primarily designed to supply supplemental water for irrigation of ;tlearly 400,000 acres of land in the Arkansas River Valley, to produce nearly 700,000,000 kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power, and to augment water supplies for domestic and industrial purposes. In the report on this project by your Regional Director, con- tained in the preliminary draft of Interim Report on the Gunnison-Arkansas Project, Colorado, there is no mention of recreation in the dkscussion of industry (pp. 5 and 6). Recreation is one of the most important industries in Colorado, and one which would be vitally affected by the initial phase of the Gunnison-Arkansas Project and even more so by the maximwn-gravity plan proposed for later development. )t'.