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<br />b~i'iF' .,,'. '1/1& (71 ,J d I':; '/ ~7
<br />f:l;':randMesaprolect fedS'ibility.
<br />:,It,l.'.~,I.'':.:;,,;;;~termination rem,ains in doubt
<br />
<br />'~:~~~yKATaERINE KAWAMURA Bureau of Land Management gation water for lands already un-
<br />::"':' , " Sentlnelstaff writer (data'will be made available to der irrigation before
<br />:,,:.,,;.{f!\}l, 0"", T, C. H,' KISS _ Many question.s BLM), subteam guidelines (mak- supplemental lands are,
<br />'y':!l\Ji~t yet be as~ed and ans~~r!ld . ing adjustments as necessary) At present, irrigation water is
<br />,:Jjelote completIOn of a feaslblhty and the planning schedule (esti" expected to be ,available for
<br />g~~~Jj:dy on the proposed Gran,d mated to be completed in three 19,150 acres on Surface Creek;
<br />'\l\!(!sa Project but progr(!ss IS , years). , 3,980 acres on ,Cedar Mesa, 3,710
<br />:Ji,~~lllgmade. " The problem with selenium, acres on Leroux Creek; 8,330
<br />,<,!,,;1'hat was the summation of Lee which had been broached earlier acres on Redlands Mesa; 9,770
<br />'i~~rsQri,!J,S, Bureau of Recla!'Ia- by Keith Hess of the V,S, Fish and acres in the Paonia area and 2,110
<br />;'fi" n'englneer at Grand Junction, ,Wildlife SErvice, the fish and acres on Currant Creek.
<br />;',',.,i(,",~,Il"w.jng, rePorts presented at a wildlife subteam leader, is con- Requests for municipal an,d in-
<br />4'lfI ilie 'meeting In Memorial Hall sidered to be serious by planners dustrial allocations are computed
<br />:!IIe:re,Mond'ay night by leaders of and will require further study. by Timothy Jones and R:E, Phil-
<br />,:m ~lti ~ 0 b j e c t i v e p I ann I n g Whether fluctuations of water lips at 1,450 acre-feet by thetown
<br />;":i~\l."teams: ' , ',reduce or promote selenium con- of Hotchkiss; 1,440 acre-feet, by
<br />e, Grand Mes,a Project, a plan centrations hasn't been deter- Cedaredge; 1,200 acre-feet by'Or-
<br />:thestorage of about 50,000 mined, It was noted, through chard City,600 acre-feet by upper
<br />e4eet of water In two ,reser- toxicity builds up In fish, which Surface Creek, 300 acre.-feet by
<br />) for agricultural, municipal, then' aren't fit for human con- Rogers Mesa; 600 acre-feet by the'
<br />. . strial, crecreation., and fish ,'sumption. It's also believed that coal Industry; and 365ac're-feet
<br />'wildlife uses, is being pro- selenium can kill livestock which by other concerns.
<br />ed jointly by the Grand Mesa drink water with a high content of
<br />N'orth Fork Water Con- the chemical found in some types
<br />ation Districts. ,of soiL
<br />,"m,ultl-purpose 'project is F,ew other problems appeared
<br />,8 'de.vlsed to meet the needs likely during discussions by sub-
<br />~ .. He Surface Creek and North team leaders, The project under
<br />:;2l'iij'rl!:Valleys as well as meet the, study was outlined by Larson at
<br />:,iillidripmic and environmental crl- the beginning as revolving
<br />",.t~tl,li-to win congressional ap- around two reservoirs - Electric
<br />i~~.i.',i!v~l, ,Much of the current Mountain and Cactus Park, both
<br />..:~:~ehmlllary work has b.een on the south side of Grand Mesa
<br />I\~,~\lnched from a, previous plan ....- with canals and ditches trans-
<br />I,,:sp'eh!edin 197a, . porting water for irrigation and
<br />'{"i'r-ublle lri.volvement hasbe~n a other uses below,
<br />.\3,,:!i,"',!iy, t"opresent project p. lannmg, Also part of the plan Is stabili-
<br />':,!W'\th' ar,ea residents participating zatlon of some existing lakes on
<br />::~il.li:8ubteams and being asked for Grand Mesa andawildlife refuge'
<br />is\l!\\minents at meetings held In the, In the Dobes in the Payne Siding
<br />:'~tQjectarea, LarsOn n,oted. At the area, Infra-red photographic
<br />'.-'Jie.li.t session, alternatives wll1be work to' identify vegetative types
<br />;:'cQl:uHdered, 'and a study of lora and fauna has
<br />I I;Few of the questions directed been completed,
<br />"atslibteam leaders Monday night' ,In the North Fork Valley,
<br />',l\~ncerried the Grand Mesa Proj- Henry Swanson of Paonla, a sub-
<br />\'Mt There was a question about team leader, related. lands on
<br />,i!the"Oa,llas Creek Project, delay, Garvin Mesa, Oak Mesa and upper
<br />',:,'rhe'answer was that the city of Minnesota, Creek Valley could
<br />:"'M;ontrosehasn't signed the repay- use'supplemental irrigation wa-
<br />i'i!iIent contract on the project as ter when it becomes available
<br />;;ry~t;'holdlng up ground breaitlng, from the project,
<br />'!;'rlie'ceremony, th9ugh, won't be H,G, Burgess Jr, of. Eckert, also
<br />0'!is'impresslve as the one planned a subteam leader, noted that in
<br />..,.'for.the Dplores Pr9ject, the Surface Creek Valley, the
<br />,:;,'But there were such inquiries need was to assure adequate IITI-
<br />,as, the seleilium problem pOSSible
<br />',PtlPlication of effort ~Itha U,S.
<br />
<br />
<br />")
<br />
<br />Also reviewed were recrea_ ,
<br />tional and wildlife plans, With
<br />stabilization of lakes on Grand
<br />Mesa, Mike Beaudry, with the U,S,
<br />Bureau of Outdoor Recreation at
<br />Denver, said his, subte~m has
<br />been toying with a plan t9 de-
<br />velop one cluster of lakes lln an
<br />economic development would In-
<br />volve such facilities as hotels and
<br />resorts around, Alexander, 'Bar-'
<br />ren and Eggleston, ,with hiking
<br />and horseback trails In the
<br />Trlilkle Park, Cedar Mesa, Bonita,
<br />Twin I, Sackatt, and Weir and
<br />Johnson group for environmental
<br />development.
<br />
<br />The wildlife subteam; Keith
<br />Hess of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service noted,has been lookhig:
<br />into potential problems, such as
<br />selenium and studying Impacts
<br />on wildlife tha could be caused by
<br />reservoirs and ditches, such as
<br />loss of habitat, human association
<br />factors,
<br />Development of engineering
<br />plans and hydrologic data, as well
<br />as justifylrig the need of the proj-
<br />ect, is the concern ofthe engineer-
<br />Ing subteams, the bureau's Fred
<br />Crabtree said,
<br />
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