Laserfiche WebLink
<br />29 ',I) <br /> <br />COLORADO FINDS ITSELF IN A P~SITION TODAY THAT ALMOST FIFTY <br />PBRCENT OP ITS TOTAL SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES HAVE BF.EN ALLOCATED TO OTHER <br />STATES THROUGH INTBRSTATE COMPACTS AND FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS. THB <br />REMAINING SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES OF THE STATE HAVE BEEN TOTALLY APPRO- <br />PRIATED THROUGH DECREES AWARDED BY THE STATE COURTS, ONE OF WHICH HAS <br />BEEN GRANTED FOR THE STORAGE OF WATER IN THE AUTHORIZED NARROWS RESERVOIR, <br />THE NBEDS OF OUR CITIZENS FOR ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLIES CONSTANTLY <br />INCREASE. GROWING DEMANOS FOR WATER USES HAVE BROUGHT US INTO CONFLICT <br />WITH NEIGH80RING STATES. IN RECENT YEARS. THE STATES OF. KANSAS, NEW <br />~EXICO AND TEXAS HAVE INSTITUTED LEGAL ACTION AGAINST COLORADO IN THE <br />UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT CONCERNING THE USB OF WATER WHICH ORIGINATES <br />IN COLORADO. THESE AND OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE CAUSED A CRITICAL SEARCH <br />IN OUR STATE LEADING TO THE CONSERVATION OP PLeOD FLOWS AND THB REUSE OF <br />WATER SUPPLIES WITHOUT INFRINGEMENT UPON THE RIGHTS OF OTHER STATES, THE <br />AUTHORIZBD NARROWS PROJECT IS ONE WHICH MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THIS SEARCH. <br /> <br />THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RESERVOIR STORAGE ON THE LOWER SOUTH <br />PLATTE RIVER HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED, RECORDS DISCLOSE THAT IN 1910 A <br />FILING WAS MADE BY PRIVATE INTERESTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM AT THE <br />NARROWS SITE. AT THE REQUEST OF THE STATE O~ COLORADO, THE UNITED STATES <br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION IN THE EARLY 1940'S CONDUCTED A RECONNAISSANCE SURVey <br />ON THE tOWER SOUTH PLATTE RIVER IN COLORADO. IN 1944, THE RESULT OF THIS <br />SURVEY WAS PUBLISHED AS SENATE DOCUMENT NO. 191. SIX SEPARATE DAMSITES <br />ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER WERE STUDIED. SUBSEQUENT DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS <br />RESULTED IN THE SELECTION OF THE NARROWS SITE IN MORGAN COUNTY. <br /> <br />ON JULY 24. 1946, THE CONGRESS APPROVED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN PROJECT. WHICH INCLUDED THE NARROWS UNIT IN <br />COLORADO. IN 1947, FUNDS WERE APPROPRIATED FOR INITIATION OF CONSTRUCTION <br />OF THE NARROWS lINIT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY LOCAL OPPOSITION TO THE PROJECT <br />BEGAN TO SURFACE. ARGUMENTS PERTAINING TO THE SERVICE AREA AND DAM <br />SAFETY WERE ADVANCED. OPPOSITION TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NARROWS DAM <br />WAS VOICED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF MORGAN COUNTY AND BY THF. CITY OFFICIALS <br />AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE COUNTY'S PRINCIPAL CITY, FORT MORGAN. <br /> <br />WITH THE INITIAL APPRnPRIATION, THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION <br />BEGAN EXTENSIVE SUBSURFACE INVESTIGATIONS AT THE NARROWS SITE. AS A <br />RESULT OF TilE CRITICISM OF THE GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS, A BOARD OF CONSULTANTS <br />WAS CO~STITUTED TO APPRAISE THE SUITABILITY OF THE DAMSITE, THE BOARD <br />CONCLUDED THAT A SAFE DAM COULD BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE PROPOSED SITE. <br /> <br />THE STATE OF COLORADO ALSO RETAINED THE SERVICES OF ROYCE J. <br />TIPTON AND ASSOCIATES, AN ENGINEERING FIRM WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDING, <br />TO CONDUCT AN HlDEPENDENT INVESTTr.ATTON PFRTAINING TO TilE Mos'r SUITABLE <br />RESERVOIR SITE. THAT FIRM SUBSEQUENTLY RECOMMENDED THAT THE RESERVOIR BE <br />CONSTRUCTED AT THE NARROWS SITE. HOWEVER. NO LOCAL WATER CONSERVANCY' <br />DISTRICT WAS ORGANIZED TO SPONSOR AND OPERATE THE PROPOSED PROJECT. <br />8ECAUSE OF LACK OF SUPPORT FROM LOCAL AG~NCIES. THE STATE OF COLORADO <br />WITHHELD ITS APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT AND ACTIVITIES WERE SUSPENDED. <br /> <br />IN 1958, A GROUP OF RESIDENTS FROM THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER <br />VALLEY, REPRESENTING AREAS EXTENDING GENERALLY FROM JUST BELOW DENVER TO <br />THE STATE LINE, APPEARED 8EFORE THE COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD AND <br /> <br />-2- <br />