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y.'..'.... ""'-' .~~~ . , ' , ?"-" Maryanne C Baeh Brian Person October 6, 2000 Page 4 Eastern Slope residents, Under this program, Colorado River Water which would otherwise spill from Granby Reser':oir is di','erted ,hrough the ..>.dams Tunnel and delivered through CBT Projeet distribution facilities (Q the South Platte River Basin for use by any water user within the Northern DisHiet's boundaries at no charge, Northern District officials have stated that the purpose of the non-charge program Is to "spread" the benefits of the CBT Project (Q water users without Northern Distrier allotment contracts who nevertheless suPPOrt the Project through taxes The River District's engineenng consultant, Helton & Williamsen, has reviewed the non-charge deliveries of water to the Big Thompson River from the period 1983 to \998 Total non-charge water deliveries during thar time period averaged over 37,800 acre feet per year, with an annual maximum of over 128.000 aere reet. Of this amount, an average of 8,700 acre feet per year, and a maximum of 47,000 acre feet, was delivered (Q the Big Thompson River. The River DisHiet's investigation of the non-charge program has revealed that non-charge water is being delivered to the Big Thompson River at times when native supplies are suffieient to meet diversion needs, Helton & Williamsen's Investigatlon revealed that approximately 40% of all non-charge Water delivered to the Big Thompson River was not diverted for eonsumptive uses within Colorado, Helton & Williamsen believe that similar conclusions can be made coneernlng ,he non-charge deliveries (Q the Cache La Poudre and St. Vrall1 Rivers, The diversion of the water from the Western Slope for the non-charge program in the absence of a demand or need for that water on the Eastern Slope, or the use of this water in lieu of other available supplies, violates the express CBT Proj ect purposes and is wasteful Such water spreading is under attack west-wide and is even more concerning when a transmountain diversion is Involved that is removing water needed from endangered fish species in the basin of origin, The operation of the non-charge program may also violate Reclamation's agency-wide goals for the tiered priCing of surplus water to eneourage conservation, , The use of the non-charge program water solely t"or power purposes does not validate its diversion from the Colorado River Basin, Power production is only a secondary purpose of the CBT Project pursuant to Article 16 of the Repavment Contraet No 9-07,70-W0020 Power Droduction cannot be justified as an Instigating, reason for West Slope diversions in the absence of need for supplemental Irrigation water,