WSP07987

• File Number: 8443.600
• Description: Narrows Unit - Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 2/27/1967
• Author: Jim Ohi
• Title: Report to the Land Use Commission on the Narrows Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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determine flood control benefits and the capacity required for the
control of floods. In addition to that agency, meteorologists and
engineers from the Department of the Interior and the National Weath~r
Service were consulted in determining the project design flood. The
state of Colorado also employed an independent consulting firm of inter-
national standing to evaluate the project design flood. In !!'1.Uumary, the
most competent technical and scientific expertise available in the united
States has been utilized in arriving at the flood control benefits and
the space and structural requirements for flood control.

The project opponents have raised several questions relating
to economics. Each of these questions has been carefully'reviewed,and
the conclusions reached by the project opponents do not appear to be
supportable. Appropriate to the economic issue is a statement made
during the congressional hearings by the chairman of the Morgan County
Board of County Commissioners, as follows:

"We realize that it's a matter of record that in the past
there have been objections to the development of the Narrows unit because
of the farmland being inundated and taken from the tax rolls, but we
don't think this is any prOblem fOr two reasons:

The county's annual replacement and maintenance costs of
roads and bridges in the inundated area are higher than the tax receipts
from this same area.

It is estimated that increases in valuation of property
adjacent to the project will more than compensate the loss to the tax
rolls by the acquisition of the Narrows unit."

Other issues have been raised concerning the damage to public
health, to wildlife, and to recreation. The project has been extensively
reviewed by the wildlife agencies, park and recreation agencies and
public health agencies of both the state and federal governments. The
conclusions of these agencies do not support the various claims made
by the regional landowners group.

The most serious objection raised by the landowners group
relates to the displacement of families in the reservoir areas. This
objection is valid and is one to which there is no complete answer. The
construction of any major water resource facility, as is the case with
many other construction activities, invariably leads to the displacement
of people. This same displacement would occur if the reservoir were )
constructed at the Weld County site. Although fewer people would be
involved. The only remedy available for such displacement is adequate
compensation, both for the value of the property taken and for moving
expenses.

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