WSP07415

• File Number: 8147
• Description: Gunnison-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 6/1/1948
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Interim Report Gunnison-Arkansas Project Colorado Appendix O Overall Benefits and Allocation of Costs
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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2.. ~....("I
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(Bonofit-cost analysis, Initial Dovolopnont)

augnont or inprovo thoir nunicipal wator supplios at tho tino of tho
Initial Dovolopnont. This could be acco~lishod by roducinc; tho o.nount
of wator nndo avnilablo for irriGation uso. It is osti.'Jll.tod thD.t 70
porcont of the wator usod for ~nicipa1 purposes roturns to tho rivor,
thoroby teconinG a,r..ilablo for irrication. The not rosult, thoroforo,
of furnishillb additional projoct wa tor to nunicipali ties would 1;0 a re-
duction of 30 acro-foet of supplenenml irriGc.tion wator for oaoh 100
acro-feot of nunicipal wator suppliod. Citios obtainine; nunicipal water
\.ould 1;0 oxpocted to pay tho costs of proouroClOnt ovor and abovo any
nocossary roplaooncnt to tho :~kansc.s Rivor incident to tho satisfection
of thoir divorsions.

Increasing presont nunicipal supplies with ~~ortod wator would in-
provo tho quality of the Puob10 supply, provido for SOl:1O industrial ex-
pansion, and inprovo tho livinc conditions ef peop10 in tho t~nlS within

tho projoct arca.

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Bonofits arising fron the ?rovision of 5,700 acre-feet of additional
nunicipal water to tho cities of Puoblo and Colorado Springs would Q~ount
to $319,000 por year, as conputod in .~ppondix J, "iIunicipa1 ',"iater Supply".
This sun would includo tho valuo of softenil'l[; a quantity of wator oquivn-
lont to tho additional supply, fron tho hardnoss of the oxisting supply
to tho hc.rdnoss of tho wator to 1;0 suppliod and tho alternativo cost to
the nunicipali tios of obtc.ining a now supply. Tho 1;onofi t fron Olil:U.Mting
the nood for softoning tho ?rosent supply of 21,000 acro-foot plus tho
additional 3,000 acre-foot of wator for puob10 is ostinated at 0240,000
annually. No benofits c.re clainod for softoning tho 2,700 acre-foet of
water suppliod to Colorado Springs. Tho a1ter~tivo construction cost
of a now water supply for Puoblo and Colorado Sprine;s would El!:lount to
$2,635,000. On an annual oquivnlont bc.sis for 100 yoars this booonos
071,962 which was roundod to Q72,OOO. Tho annual oporation, naintonance
and roplaconont oxpenses for tho altcrnato syston would to approxino.to1y
$7,000.

Flooc'. control

.t..l though flooc'.s of d=Cing proportions .:1;'0 raro in tho i.rlro.nsas
Bo.sin L"'.bovo Canon City c.nd in the Wostern Slopo diversion aroa, lc.r~o
dcno.gin[; floods do occur in tho l..rkansas Valley oastwc.rd fron Canon U Ci ty.
Theso flouds incroas~ in froquoncy and volunc to c. point noar tho nouth
of the PU"o.'gatoiro Ri7"ro

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The lar[;ost flood of record,
of Puo blo. occurred in Juno 1921.
103,000 socond-foot at Pueblo and

caused by intonse rains in the vicinity
The flood roached an ostL~tod peak of
200,000 secend-foot at La Juntc.. Fron

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