WSP07192

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1962
• Author: unknown
• Title: Ruedi-Western Slope Investigations Colorado Reconnaisance Reports on Basalt and Bluestone Projects
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

0862

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INTRODUCTION

In accordance yith the lar.guage of the authorizing legislation for
the Fryingpan-Arkansas project, the entire cost of the Ruedi Dam and Res-
ervoir is considered as a cost of th~t project even though the reservoir
will have capacity to serve future western slope developments. This
treatment of the cost was adopted in the legislation to avoid allocations
of FrJingpan-Arkansas project costs to "deferred uses." It Yas brought
out in congressional hearings, however, that at such time as western slope
USeS of Ruedi Reservoir storage are proposed for authorization, the legis-
lation would provide that the Fn'ingpan-Arkansas project be relieved of
an appropriate share of the reimbursable costs of Ruedi Dam and Reservoir.
Thus, the Fryingpan-Arkansas project will serve a6 an underYriter for
repayment of costs of capacity in Ruedi Reservoir in excess of that
required for replacement, but "ill not relieve future Colorado River Basin
projects of their customary econo~ic and financial responsibilities.

.

The supplemental report on the Ruedi Dam and Reservoir mentioned
sbove points out that the active reservoir capacity in excess of that for
replacement, if operated jointly for flood control and conservation pur-
poses, could supply an average of 70,000 acre-feet of water annually for
future downstream developments. 'rho reports which follow show that, bssed
on long-term reservoir yield, the average annual releases from Ruedi Res-
ervoir required for the Basalt project would be 40,000 acre-feet and for
the Bluestone project, 21,000 acre-feet. This would leave 9,000 acre-feet
for a possible expansion of the Basalt and Bluestone project plans to
include additional lands or for other future uses on the western slope.
If western slope costs were prorated among potential developments in pro-
portion to l'equirements for storage water, the distribution 1lould be as
follows:

Proj..ct
Basalt
Bluestone
Other
Total

Construction
cost
$1.685,000
990,200
425.500
3,300,700

Interest
during
construction
$151,600
80,000
34,000
265,600

Annual
operation
and
maintenance
$2,100
1,200
400
3,700

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The Basalt and Bluestone projects appear to represent two favorable
potentialities for the use of Ruedi Reservoir water. Both are shown by
the following reconnaissance reports to have favorable benefit-cost ratios.
Their reimbursable costs could be fully repaid within 50-year repayment
periods provided the projects are authorized es participating projects
with the Colorado River Storage project. Both projects are worthy of
detailed feasibility studies which "ill be schedulec. as fWlds and person-
nel become available for that purpose. In the o.etailed studies alterna-
tive plans of development will be further considere~, particularly
possibilities of expa~ding the Basalt project to include irrigation

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