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. . COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 102 Columbine Building 1845 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 March, 1975 NARROWS PROJECT The Narrows project area lies along the lower South Platte River extending generally from Fort Morgan to the Nebraska state line. The project was originally authorized by the Congress in 1944 as a part of the comprehensive plan for the Missouri River Basin project. Pre- construction activities on the project started in 1947, but were termi- nated in 1952 because of the lack of official support for the project by the state of Colorado. The project was re-authorized by the Congress in 1970 as a unit of the Missouri River Basin project. The Lower South Platte Water Con- servancy District was organized in 1964 as the sponsoring and contractual agency for the project. This district includes portions of Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick and Washington counties. Plan of Development During the fifteen-year period 1947-1961, which was used for the feasibility study of the Narrows project, an average of 187,000 acre- feet of water from the South Platte River flowed across the state line in excess of compact commitments. During the period 1965-1971, the average annual wasted flow was approximately 400,000 acre-feet of water. The Narrows project was designed to conserve these unused flows. The Narrows Dam would be located on the South Platte River a few miles above the city of Fort Morgan. It would serve the functions of irrigation, flood control, recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement. The reservoir would provide supplemental irrigation water for presently irrigated lands in Morgan, Logan, Washington, Adams and Sedgwick counties. A fish hatchery would be located a short distance downstream from the dam for stocking purposes. Specific lands and facilities, including the existing Jackson Lake, would be acquired for recreation and fish and wildlife purposes. The only project construction would involve the construction of the Narrows Dam and the fish hatchery. Distribution of the stored waters would occur through existing facilities. Storage water would be released as necessary from the reservoir to supplement irrigation within the 166,370-acre service area of the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, and, through exchange, 120,700 acres in the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. Proj- ect water stored in Narrows Reservoir would be released either into the South Platte River through a river outlet for delivery to existing downstream diversion works or through a canal outlet works directly into the Fort Morgan Canal. Minimum downstream flows for fishery require- ments would be met by reservoir seepage, stream accretions and return flows. Flows for operating the fish hatchery would be obtained from seepage.