WSP06830 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

, i,;"J' f!!: 3SGJ nUEDI DAM A.ND RESERVOIR, COLO. . 19 .--- t, " ellstel'll and "-esterll slope agreement 011 pro.iect operatio.l~s and, pro- vided various measures for the protection of l'igl~ts. a.nd lDtere.s~s ?f the people 011 both slopes in Colorado. The pl'lnClples also recog- nized Aspen Dam and Reservoir of 28,000 acre- feet storag~ capacit.y as an essential feature of the Fryingpan-Arknnsas .proJect plan. That reseryoir WllS to furnish water required for protectlOn of western Colorado watpr users in accordance with provisions of section 1, c.hapter 192, Colorado Session Laws, 1943, reading as follows: Prcn;ided, howeve,", That aoy works or facilities planned and designed for the exportation or water from the natural basin of the Colorado River aod its tributaries in Colorado, by allY di!:ltrict created under this chapter, sbl\ll be subject to the provisions of the Colorado River Compact and tbe Boulder Can;yon Project Act, as amended: that any such works or facilities shall be designed. constructed and operated in such a manner that the present appropriations of wnter. and in addition thereto prospective uses of water for irrigation and other beneficial cOll.'mmptive-use purposes. including consumptive uses for domes- tic, mining and industrinl purposes, within the natural basin of the Colorado River in the State of Colorado, from whIch water is exported, will not be im- paired nor increased in cost at the expense of the water users witbin the said natural basin; and that the facilities and other means for the accomplishment of said purpose shall be incorporated in, and made a part of, nny project plnns for the exportation .of water from said natural basin in Colorado. Although the original operat,ing principles were intended to achieve full agreement on all aspects of t.he Fryingpan-Arkansas project within the State, it became apparent rluring congressional hearings that weste.rn slope int.erests objected to the project plan, pal't,icularly concerning AS]Jen Dam ltnd Reservoir. As f\, result, in 1958 the Colo- rado Water Consernltion Board instigated considerat.ion of a sub- stitute replacement reservoir for the Aspen feature. The board re- quested the Bureau of Reclnmation to undertake such studies and con- tributed nmds and personnel to finance and assist in the investiga- tions. Various alt.ernative reservoir sites were considered. All of them except the Ruedi site were rejected because of geologic, water supply, or"ot.her limitat.ions. The Bureau of Reclamation had previously made preliminary in- vestigations of the Ruedi site us an alternat.ive for the Aspen site a.nd as a potential feature of the now obsolet.e Blue-South Platte project inyestigation. Considerable engine,ering and hydrologic data. were amilahle on the Ruedi site from these earlier studies. The geology and water supply conditions at, the Ruedi site permit the development of it larger reservoir than was contemplated above Aspen; hence, the plan for Ruedi provides for a reservoir of approxi- mately 100,000 acre-feet of storage c>lpacit.y as contrasted with 28,000 aere-feet in Aspen Dam and Reservoir. Ruedi Reservoir, therefore, will not only meet t.he replaceInent requirements of t.he Fryingpan- Arkansas project but Wlfjl ,',\'ovide an additional regulated water supply for ot.her uses on t.h' lis/ern slope. Following selection of \I;':Ruedi site, t.he Colorado IV"ter Con- sernlt.ion ~ofl.rd recollst.ituted a l)Qlicy llncl review committee for the Fr'yi.ngp: ';an~<\s pl'~ject. 011 January 14, 10[,0. The commit.t.ee conSIsted el)resentnt1\"es of t.he CoIOrt1do 'V at.er Con~rva.tlOn Board, t:he ..', Wttdo Ri\'er 'Vater COIlSelTfi.tion Di::;trict, the South- easter~ COlora( ?'.:\\j.r-ter Conserva.ncy Dish.ic.~, .uld ~he .Colorado Game and FI~)1 COmnlISSlOll. The revI~ed operat.lng prmclples were. c-om-