WSP08091

• File Number: 8147
• Description: Gunnison-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 6/1/1948
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Interim Report Gunnison-Arkansas Project Colorado Appendix L Recreation
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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General Description of Project

The Gunnison-Arkansas Transmountain Diversion froject has been

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planned by the Bureau of Recla~tion to provide for the collection of

unallocated ~ater from the Roaring Fork and Gunnison Rivers on the

,lestern slope of the Continental Divide to the Eastern slope where it

is needed for irrigation of land in the arid plains of southeastern

Colorado. Although the main purpose of the project is irrigation, it

will serve also for power development, flood control and sediment and

debris control. The latter two purposes will be present in the

Pueblo Reservoir only.

The Bureau's present plans consist of the basic prDposal known

as "The Initial Development", ;Iith two possible future expansions to

be known as the "Maximum Gravity Diversion" and the "Comprehensive

Plan."

The Initial Development includes the fryingpan iliver Diversion,

the Sugarloaf Reservoir and the ~Nin Lakes Reservoir enlargements and

the Construction of the Pueblo Reservoir (capacity 400,000 acre feet.)
Included are the construction of a tunnel through the Continental

Divide to carry the water of the Fryingpan River to the Sugarloaf

aeservoir and the construction of canals as far as Salida, Colorado,

where the water is returned to the Arkansas River to flow into the

Pueblo Reservoir for irrigation.

The Maximum Gravity Diversion proposal consists m' the Crystal

River, Anthracite Creek and Maroon and Castle Creek Diversions; the
Taylor Park Reservoir, the Almont-Taylor Park-Cottonwood Tunnel,

through the Continental Divide, of a tunnel frem Salida to Wells-

ville for ppwer development, and of the Curecanti Reservoir fer

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