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<br />1
<br />
<br />1735
<br />
<br />28 FRYfNl1PAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO
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<br />BRsin, enlarged from its present capacity of 17,000 acre..feet to 117,000
<br />scre-leet for sto/'twC and regulation of water imported from the west-
<br />ern slope" (e) thp. S~lOwden diversion dani on. the Arkallsas River abOVl~
<br />Snowden; Colo., and t.he Snowden diversion cann] whieh would convey
<br />water from the Arkans~s River to thc enlarged Twin Lakes Reservoir;
<br />(j) tlw, Twin Lakes R('scl'\'oir in t.he upper Arkansas BasIu, a few miles
<br />south of Snowden, Colo., enlarged from it,s presellt active cB.j>acity of
<br />56.1100 ltcre-feet to 260,000 acre-feet, for stomge alld rcgu ation of
<br />Wll tel' imported from the \\-"estern slope by the Fl'yillgpan-Arkanslls
<br />diversion, wuter imported by existing Twin Lakes diversioll, and water
<br />diverted from the Arkansns River by the Snowden canal; (a) the
<br />Pueblo Reservoir Oll the Arku.mms River west of Puehlo, Colo., wit.h It
<br />cll.paeity of 400,000 tLerc-r(~ct. to store water for irrigat,ion and municipal
<br />use o.nd for flood control; (h) a project. power system comprising 60
<br />miles of ct1lULls, seven power plants having a.n iflsttdled capacity of
<br />104,800 kilowat.ts, sev(.'.n switchyards, nine substations, and nbout 400
<br />miles of transmission lilws; (i) specific municipal wat.er supply facili-
<br />tit~S for furnishing nddil.itlnal nnlllic;tJul witt.er t.o Colorado Spring's,
<br />Pueblo, and severnl Arkan3us Valley t.OWllS, whieh stlpply faeilities
<br />would he consLructed by t.he Unite.d Stat,es only ~ftrr const.ruet,ion hy
<br />tIlt'- communities tht'msc\ves proves iufeusible. These propo3ed
<br />works, which make up the initial development. are est,imnt.ed to cost
<br />$147,440,000 on the bltsis of October 1949 pricc levels which are just,
<br />slightly lower t,h8.11 present price levels. The eost of operation llnd
<br />maintenance. illdmlillg reserves for replacement, is est.imated to hl'_
<br />*1.3:35,200 aunually.
<br />The initial de\~l~lopment of the Gunnison-Arkansas projeet ha3 ell-
<br />gineering feasibility. It represents the minimum pl~ucticl11 project.
<br />It. is designed as a self..cout.niued unit and its cOllstruction would not
<br />imply a cummitment for expansion, extension, or cnlu.rgenlent; neither
<br />would it impltir or duplicate future den~lopment. It would be opcr-
<br />Itted in t\ceordnncl'. wit,h the principles set forth in the regional director's
<br />report. The Twill Lakl's Reservoir & Cllllal Co. has expre:-:sed u.
<br />willingness to execute t,he water exchange agreemcnt which is pre-
<br />requisite to the prevention of uu.magc to t,he fisheries of the Rouring
<br />Fork l{ivel', tt.lld which is contcmplnt,erl by the oprrlLting prineiples.
<br />The w"ater to be imported from the Colorado River watershed is to
<br />come from Colorado's apportionment unde)' the UppC1' Colorado Hj~'pr
<br />Basin compact, and t,herc is sufficient water supply for thc project.
<br />The initial development of the Gunnison-Arkansas project is ecO-
<br />nomiCltll.v justifier! and finallcially feasible. The ratio of annual
<br />benefits to RlUlUn.1 cost.s is about 1.7 to 1.0. Net annual re\rellues
<br />would amount to about $2.870,000. It i, estimated that all reim-
<br />bursable costs would be returned to the United States in 50 years.
<br />The tentative allocution of costs among Ule va.rious purposes and th~
<br />estimnted ptl.ymellts are summRrir.ci! in Ule following tabulation:
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