WSP07070

• File Number: 8443.400
• Description: Narrows Project - Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 5/27/1968
• Author: Asst Sec of Interior
• Title: A Report on the Narrows Unit Missouri River Basin Project Colorado Pursuant to Section 9a of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

41

40

Differentll.

~9.8S.,OOO
46.2011,OOQ
23,646,000

$~8, 109, 000
46,290,000
11,819.000

tion Districts, or both, if such pUIIlping can be economically
justified, and if by November 1, 1954, tbe board of dIrectors of
these respective districts indicate a desir,e that sucb pump UDlt or
units be Illcluded for study and posSIble IllclUSlOn Wlthlll the scope
of tbe Narrows project."
The preceding conclusions and recommenda.tions were approved and
adopted by the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Tbe Bureau of
Reclamation concurred and initiated the necessa.ry studies.

Munu.ipal and industrial water 8Upply
During the investigations of the unit, several communities down-
stream irom tbe Narrows Da.m Bite evidenced interest in a reservation
of water for future municipal and industrial needs, No firm commit-
Dlent was made. It appears that the communities have, or ca.n readily
obtain, an ample supply from ground water for all foreseeable ~eedsi
therefore this possibility bas not been incorporated as a functlOn of
the plan' of development, In the unlikely event of urgent need for
mUnIcipal and industrial wa.ter in addition to, or as a repla.cement
for, ground water tbe communities pTobably would bave to a.cqu5!'~
irrigation water. rights.
DEFERRED POTENTIALITIES

Under date of September I, \954, region 7, Bureau of Reclamation,
transmitted its finul cost estimates on the two resef\~oir sites) along
with supporting data, to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, At
the same time, the consultants, Woodward-Clyde-Sherard & ,Associ-
ates, who had been following the course of the Bureau estrmates,
submitted their report on compartLti\'e cost estimates.
A summary comparison or the cost estimates is as foUmvs:

Bure.u 0'
Reellmllian

WOOIll4'lllll.
c!Yt~~~I~rt~~d

WIIIlCOunty____________
NlrrtlYws .

The priucipa.l difference between the two estimates is that the con-
sultants recommended u stnlcture at the Weld County site utilizing
--- -a much: .t.hiuner core or im pervious material than the designs prepared
by the Bureau of Reclamation. The chief engineer's office of the
__ Bureau of Reclamation stated that there would be no compromise
with safety; therefore, if a dam were built at the Weld County site
by tbe Bureau of Reclamation it would be built according to the
specifications prepared by the chief engineer. The cost would then
be essentially as estimated,
In 0. memorandum to the Colorado Water Conser\'tltion Board, On
September 4, \964, the director of the board concluded and recom-
mended as rouows:
(a) That to date the Bureau of Reclamation has expended
!,-pproximately $1,500,000 in investigations, et cetera, on the
Narrows project; the State of Colorado hIlS expended approxi-
mately $200,000; nnd local interesis (both for and against) have
expended significant but undetermined sums.
(b) Tha.t {urther site selection investigatio118 would be rruitless.
(c) That the construction of the Narrows project would provide
major economic benefits t.o the people of Colorado for generat.ions
to come.
(d) That if major reservoir storo.ge is constructed on the lower
South Platte River in the for~eea.ble future, it will ha.ve to be
constructed under rccla.ma.t.iou law at the Narrows site.
"It is the staff recommendation that this Board immediately trans-
mit its official comments on the Narrows Unit oC the Missouri River
Basin project to the Secretary of the Interior, requesting that construc-
tion be init~8t.ed as speedily as possible on the Narrows Unit of the
Missouri River Basin pro/'ect, ""rith a dam to be constructed at the
Narrows site in substantia accordance witb the plans contained in the
site selection r~port heret..oCore presented to this Board by region 7 of
the Bureau of Reclamation, with the CoUowing additions:
"A. Tbat tbe project include a pump unit on tbe South Platte
River near Sterling, Colo., for the purpose or increasing tbe project
water supply approximately 32,000 acre-feet annuaUy,
"B. That the project include a pump unit or units near or
adjacent to the N arrows Reservoir, for the purpose of supplying
additional irrigation water to either the Riverside or Bijou Irriga-

FoUowing elimination of the Weld County Dam site in favor of
the Narrows site in September 1964 the Colorado Water Conserva-
tion Board requested tho.t studies of' the N arrows u~it be ~xpedited.
Tue Board further requested that the Narrows Ulllt ,tud,es be ex-
panded to include: (A) a pump unit on the South Platte RIver near
Sterling, Colo" for the purpose of increasing the project water supply,
and (B) a pump unit or units Dea.r or adjacent to tbe Narrows R~ser-
voir, for tbe purpose of supplying a.dditional irrigat!on water to. eIther
tbe Riverside or Bijou Irrigation Districts, or both, if sucu pUIIlplI!g can
be economically justified, Later, the Board also requested .tudles on
a weU field or pump lift to provide supplemental water to dltc.b
systems in tbe Julesburg a.rea.
Because tbe floods of June 1965 renewed interest in t.be control of
floods from Bijou Creek, n potential channel for diverting Bijou Creek
into the N arrows Reservoir was also studied.
These additional potentialities were studied to reconnaissance
Bta.lldards. None or them are recommended for inclusion as component.s
of tbe Narrows unit at this Lime. They are considered as separo.ble
segments that should be justified incrementally. A brie{ descript.ion
of each potentiAlity foUow:s,

su,rling plLmpinp plant

The exisling Norlh Sterling Irrigation Di~tri~t lands are . include?
in the Soutb Platte Water Conservancy DlStncl. The fund claSS1-
flcation survey for the Narrows unit disclosed tbat in 1955 the North
Sterling Irrigation District contained 31,410 acres or irrigated irrignble
land "nd 4,548 acres of class 5W land or 35,058 acres in service, The
diEtrict also contn.ined 14,684 aeres of irrignble dry land.
Aft.er the Narrows unit. is in operation, approximately 3G,GGG
acre-feel, of surplus flows will continue t.o accrl1e to the stream below
Narrow8 Dam. In an effort to provide a lIse for these flows in Colorado,
a study was made of tbe potential Sterling pumping plant, The