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<br />1710
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<br />DEPART;'\tENT OF THE INTERIOn,
<br />BURl'~AU OF RECLAMATION,
<br />REGIONAL OFFICE, REGION 7,
<br />Dem:e7', Colo., July 5, 1950.
<br />(Revised February 23,19,51.)
<br />To: The Commissioner. Bureflu of Heclumo.t.ioll.
<br />From: The Rcgionol Direetof, Region 7:, Denver, Colo.
<br />Subject: \ Report on the lnitilll Dc,'elopment, RouTing Fork Di,'er-
<br />sian, of t.he Gunnison-Arkol1SfiS Project, Colorauo.
<br />
<br />TRANSMITTAL AND AUTHORITY
<br />
<br />1. This is In,'" report 011 tllt-'- jnit,inl development. Rmu:ing Fork din~r-
<br />sioH, uf the potent.inl GlIllni~on-ArkilnsHs project, Colorado. The
<br />initial de\'eloplnent, [l Illult.iplc-purpnse project involving trunsmoun.
<br />t.ain di\'('r~ioll of Wu.tef, is d(.signed n5 a major st,ep in optimum lltili-
<br />Ztl hon of wat~r nnd related resources in t.he upper Arkansas River
<br />Bnsill. The report iLIlli substantint.ing documents are sulllnit.ted for
<br />your nppronll und for dcpttrt.mental net-ion with u view toward seeur-
<br />ing congn:ssionol authoriznt.ion for dc\"elopment of t,lIe p:cojcct.
<br />2. Authority to make this report find support.ing investigations is
<br />provided in the Federal reelnmtlt.ion lu,,,'s (uet of .June 17, 1902, 32
<br />Stat. ;388, [llltl nets nmcndHtory thereof or supplementnry t.heret.o).
<br />
<br />lNTRODUCT10'N
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<br />:3. FrtHl1 its origin on t.be snoweupped mountains of Lnke County.
<br />Colo.,' t,hc Arkansas River (pronouneed Ar-kl1n-s!\.w) flows eust,wfil'll
<br />1,500 miles to it.s c'ontlllelwc with t.he j\'<[ississippi. The river's drain-
<br />age from t.ite Continental Di\Tide to Ellinwood, Kans., comprises t.he
<br />upper Al'kansag Ri\Tcr Bnsin. Thl' economy of that semiarid sect-ion
<br />of the Nat.ion is bound closely to its Ilatlll:nl resources. Their con-
<br />sernlt.ion and deve-lorInt'nt nre essential if the eeollom.y of t.he husin
<br />is to be stahilized and expunded. 'Vater is the key resource !l.nd its
<br />ut.iliznt,jon for all beneficial purposes is of prime importance. Tile
<br />Arl\!1I1~llS Hi\rer is the hydrologic flrtel'Y of t,}w basin. It, furnishes
<br />municiptll wnter, indu5trinl wnter, and irrigat.ion water. The he-
<br />havior !lnt! the yield of t.he rivcr are, t.herefore, of (~oncern t.o an int.er-
<br />est.cd in irrigntion agriculture, in the protection find expansion of busi-
<br />ness invt~s.tilllents, nnd in tIle wisc and orderly development of Ute re~
<br />sourees or1:-JlC hu.sin. .
<br />4. The pottmti~ll Gunnison-AJ.'kansn.s projeet. is n. major unit in t.he
<br />comprC'-hensiye plltn of development. of the water resources of t.he
<br />uPI')el' Al'kn,nsns River Basin w]lie.h is being ill\"estigated by the
<br />BurN\.u o{ Rec.lfllHution. The P1'ojcct is adapt.able to construct.ion by
<br />succcssi\Tc cumull1ti\'e stages. the initial development is planned as
<br />
<br />, "Inifm.l [Jc\'('lopmcnt. R'-"u'hlg Fork: ftin.rsion. of tile OUIUli~on.:\rk(l.n..~r1.s Pr(.Jcct. Colorado" was the
<br />ori~inal IL'\ml' us,'d ((ir jJr<lj~ct whpn lhf' prui.'ct r~port W(l.~ pr{'Jlllrcd. It Is nolV proposed to chll.nJ::c the n.uue
<br />orthe proj,,(t to the "FryrngIJlm.AI'kall.';a~ PruJf'ct." .
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