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<br />~07~ <br />~tJ ~ <br /> <br />REQUESTED THE BOARD TO REINITIATE STUDlES LEADING TOWARDS THE <br />CONSTRUCTION Of CHANNEL STORAGE ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER. THE BOARD <br />AGREED TO THIS REQUEST AND PROVIDED FUNDS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS TO THE <br />EXTENT OF ABOUT $200.000 FOR FURTHER STUDIES OF CHANNEL STORAGE ON THE <br />RIVER. CONGRESS ALSO PROVIDED FUNDS TO THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION FOR A <br />REANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT, <br /> <br />THE PROJECT REANALYSIS FOCUSED UPON TWO POTENTIAL RESP.RVOIR <br />SITES. ONF BEING THE ORIGINAL NARROWS SITE AND THE OTHER BEING A SITE <br />SOME DISTANCE UPSTREAM IN WELD COUNTY. THE COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION <br />BOARD EMPLOY~D TWO INDEPENDENT CONSULTING FIR~S TO EVALUATE THE COMPARA. <br />TIVE LAND COSTS OF THE TWO SITES AND TO EVALUATE THE COKPARATIVE GEOLOGIC <br />CONDITIONS AND THE RESULTING CONSTRUCTION COSTS. THE STATE WATER BOARD <br />ALSO APPOINTED A STEERING COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF CITIIEN REPRESENTATIVES <br />FROM THE SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY TO ASSIST IN THE PROJECT EVALUATION. DURING <br />THIS SAME PERIOD A PETITION WAS CIRCULATED AMONG THE RESIDENTS OF THE <br />LOWER SOUTH PLATTf. VALLEY REQUESTING THE ORGANIZATION OF A ~ATER CONSER- <br />VANCY DISTRICT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE L~WS OF THE STATE OF COLORADO. THAT <br />PETITION. WITH THE REQUISITE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES. WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PRE- <br />SENTEO TO THE DISTRICT COURT. IN 1964. THE LOWER SOUTH PLATTE WATER CON- <br />SERVANCY DISTRICT WAS OFFICIALLY CREATED BY COURT ORDER. <br /> <br />BY THE LATE SUMMER OF 1964. ALL FACETS OF THE PROJECT HAD BEEN <br />EXPLORED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS AGAIN SUBMITTED TO THE CDLORADO WATER <br />CONSERVATION BOARD FOR POLICY DECISION. AT A PUBLIC MEETING HELD IN FORT <br />MORGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12. 1964. THE BOARD REACHED AND APPROVED THE FOLLOWING <br />CONCLUSIONS: <br /> <br />1. THAT FURTHER SITE SELECTION INVESTIGATIONS WOULD BE FRUIT- <br /> <br />LESS. <br /> <br />2, THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NARROWS PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE <br />ECONOMIC BENEPITS TO THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO FOR GENERATIONS TO CONE. <br /> <br />3. THAT IF MAJOR RESERVOIR STORAGE WAS TO BE CONSTRUCTED ON <br />THE LOW~R SOUTH PLATTE RIVRR I~ THn FORESEEA8LE FUTIIRE. IT WOULD HAVE TO <br />BE CONSTRUCTED UNDER RECLAMATION LAW AT TilE NARROWS SITE. <br /> <br />SUBSEQUENTLY. AND AT TPE URGING OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE THROUGH <br />THEIR DULY CON~TITUTED WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICTS. VARIOUS BOARDS OF <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND CITY COUNCILS, INCLUDING THOSE OF MORGAN COUNTY <br />ANO THE CITY OF FORT MORGAN, THE STATE OF COLORADO TRANSMITTED ITS <br />OFFICIAL COMMENTS TO THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR REQUESTING THAT CONSTRUCTION <br />OF THE NARROWS PROJECT BE INITIATED. HOWEVER, AT ABOUT THIS TIME. CONGRESS <br />TERMINATED THE AUTHORIZATION OF THOSE UNITS OF THE MISSOURI BASIN PROJECT <br />UPON WHICH CONSrRUCTION HAD NOT YET STARTED. THIS rOLICY REQUIRED THE <br />COMPLETION OF A COMPLETELY NEW fEASIBILITY REPORT ON THE NARROWS PROJECT~ <br />A NEW FEASIBILITY REPORT WAS COMPLETED IN 1967 AND SUBSEQUENTLY PRESENTED <br />TO THE CONGRESS. <br /> <br />FOLLOWING SUBMISSION OF THE NEW FEASIBILITY REPORT, BILLS WERE <br />INTRODUCED IN BOTH THE SENATE AND HOUSE TO AUTHORIZE THE NARROWS PROJECT. <br />PUDLIC HEARINGS ON THE PROJECT WERE CONDUCTED BY THE CONGRESS, ONE OF <br />WHICH WAS HeLD AT FORT ~DRGAN IN 196~. AT THAT HEARING, THE CONGRESSIONAL <br />COMMITTEE WA~ INFORMED THAT A PETITION H40 BEEN SIGNED BY 2,741 RESIDENTS <br />OF MORGAN COUNTY URGING THAT THE NARROWS DAM BE CONSTRUCTED. AND THAT A <br /> <br />-3- <br /> <br />,- <br />