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<br />o <br />o <br />~ As indicated in, the Notice of Public Hearing, we are meeting here to- <br />N <br />(~) day to discuss the merits of the Bureau of Reclamation's plans for construc- <br />~\) <br />ting transmission lines radiating from our Estes Park Power Plant. However, <br /> <br />in order to properly relate this relatively local problem to the larger <br /> <br />problem of transmountain water diversion by means of the Colorado-Big Thomp- <br /> <br />son Project, it maybe beneficial to review, in a summary fashion, the his- <br /> <br />tory of authorization and the plan of operation of the entire project. <br /> <br />Through this review we may be able to develop the detached viewpoint which <br /> <br />is so necessary in the objective examination of a localized problem. <br /> <br />i\ <br /> <br />. The Colorado-Big Thompson Project was authorized in August of 1937, <br /> <br />having been presented to the Congress in Senate Document No. 80, 75th Con- <br /> <br />~~:; <br /> <br />;:;: <br />,.' <br /> <br />,", <br /> <br />gress, First Session. That Document visualized the project as a multiple- <br /> <br />,,~ <br /> <br />purpose project, contemplating the diversion of surplus waters ~rom the <br /> <br />:",; <br /> <br />headwaters of the Colorado River on the western slope to eastern slope <br /> <br />~:; <br />C <br />f' <br />h <br />t;.:, <br />C <br /> <br />lands in northeastern Colorado greatly in need of supplemental irrigation <br /> <br />water. In order to accomplish this, the ~ million acre-foot Granby stor- <br /> <br />age reservoir was to be built about 5 miles south of Grand Lake, Colorado, <br /> <br />I..? <br /> <br />for collection of the western slope surplus waters; the 13.1-mile long <br /> <br />Adams Tunnel was to be bored through the Continental Divide from Grand. <br /> <br />Lake to a point about 5 miles southwest of Estes Park; and waters were to <br /> <br />";,. <br /> <br />k' <br /> <br />be conducted from this point to Carter Lake west of Loveland and Horsetooth <br /> <br />/: <br />-,~' <br /> <br />Reservoir west of Fort Collins through a system of canals, tunnels, siphons, <br /> <br />penstocks and power plants to fully develop the power potential inherent <br /> <br />in the nearly 3,000-foot drop to the irrigation utilization level. A com- <br /> <br />plex system of transmission lines was planned to interconnect the several <br /> <br />power plants in the system and to join east slope power features with west <br /> <br />-:. <br /> <br />.,-,.' ,',.. <br /> <br />....'..,". <br />