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<br />, lIENJAMI N F. STAPLETON <br />Chairman. Denver <br /> <br />.}\~,." <br />,,,.-,,..,, <br />\';;Z:J? <br /> <br />~ <br />.......~ <br />- '''. <br /> <br />., <br /> <br />6::~;,\ <br />(~~~ <br /> <br />FELIX L. SPARKS <br />Director <br />LAREN D. MORRLLL <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />. ..-- ~.- <br /> <br />FREDERICK V. KROEGER <br />Vice~Chairman. Durango <br /> <br />JOHN T. BENTON <br />BurnS <br />JOHN H; BROWNELl. <br />Hooper <br />JOHN R. FETCHER <br />Steamboat Springs <br />C. M. FURNEAUX <br />Waldan <br />ROBERT A. JACKSON <br />Pueblo <br />OAVID LEINSOORF <br />Crested Sutte <br /> <br />RICHARD O. LAMM <br />Governor <br /> <br />HERBERT H. VANDEMOEA <br />Sterling <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br /> <br />823 STATE CENTENNIAL BUILDING <br />1313 SHERMAN STREET <br />DENVER. COLORADO B0203 <br /> <br />TELEPHONE <br />(3031 892.3441 <br /> <br />September 30, 1976 <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />M E MOl AND U M <br /> <br />Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director <br />Colorado Department of Natural Resources <br /> <br />Felix L. Sparks, Director ~~ <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Fruitland Mesa Project <br /> <br />This memorandum constitutes the comments of the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, <br />Fruitland Mesa Project, dated September 3, 1976. <br /> <br />The authorized Fruitland Mesa Project is located in western <br />Colorado in Montrose and Delta Counties and lies immediately north of <br />the Gunnison River. The Bureau of Reclamation first reported on the <br />Fruitland Mesa Project in 1946 as a part of its basin-wide inventory <br />of the Colorado River. A subsequent reconnaissance report on the <br />project was published in 1951. <br /> <br />Farming and ranching operations in the project;: area began in <br />about 1880 and were gradually expanded until the drouth years of the <br />1930's. For some inexplicable reason, abnormally low levels of pre- <br />cipitation have continued to plague the Fruitland Mesa area since the <br />1930's. Water shortages for irrigation since that time in some years <br />have ranged from 100 percent in the upper Fruitland area to 79 percent <br />in the lower Fruitland area. As a result of these intolerable short- <br />ages, the population has declined and there has been a considerable out- <br />migration of the younger people. <br /> <br />Because of the critical situation in the Fruitland Mesa area, <br />the Colorado Water Conservation Board in 1956 gave the Fruitland Mesa <br />Project the highest priority for construction. In that same year the <br />Congress directed that the project be given priority for feasibility <br />investigation. On November 5, 1962, the completed feasibility report <br />was officially transmitted to the President of the United States, and <br />