WSP08195

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 4/3/1952
• Author: Policy-Review Commit
• Title: Gunnison River Storage-Memos-Policy and Review Committee - Report of Policy and Review Committee - Gunnison River Storage to the Colorado Water Conservation Board
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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The southwestern boundaI'J is formed by the San Juan Mountains and the
Uncompahgre Plateau, The western termination of the basin occurs in the
Grand Valley where the Gunnison River joins the Colorado River,

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Principal tributaries of the G~~ison River (noted for the purposes of
this report) are the East River and the Taylor River which join about ten
miles north of the City of Gunnison to form the Gunnison River; the Ohio
Creek and Tomichi River which join the Gunnison River near the City of
Gunnison; North Beaver Creek and South Beaver Creek which join the Gunnison
about six miles ~est of the City of Gunnison; the Cebolla Creek which joins
the Gunnison about nineteen mile~ west of the City of Gunnison; the Lake
Fork River which joins the Gunnison at Sapinero about twenty-seven miles west
of the City of Gunnison, the Ci.'llarron Creek which joiils the Gunnison about
forty miles west of the City of Gunnison; and Crystal Creek which joins the
Gunnison a short distance above the Gunnison National Monument and below the
confluence of Cimarron Creek and the Gunnison River.

Ii

The region tributary to the Gunnison River, including the Cimarron Creek
and Crystal Creek basins, lying above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National
Monument, is referred to in this report as the "Upper Gunnison River Basin"; and
the basin area below this division point is referred to as '.\101./er,:Gunnislln:Ruer
Basin." This is a natural division formed by the mountain ranges separating
the Upper Gunnison drainage from the drainage area of the Uncompahgre and North
Fork Rivers,

There is attached hereto a sketch map of the Gunnison River Basin showing
both the Upper and the lQver Basins and principal tributaries of the Gunnison
River, which should be visualized in reviewing this report.

III. Policy and Review Committee Procedure, The Committee held its
first meeting and organized on the 2~th day of September, 1951; the second
meeting was held on the 14th day of December, 1951; and the third and final
meeting was held on February 20, 21, 22 and 23 and, after a recess, on
March 3, 1952.

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Before an agreement was reached by the Committee at its final session on
March 3, the follcrv1ing motion was unanimously adopted:

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"That any agreement reached by the Co!ll1llittee respecting storage of
water in the Upper Gunnison River Basin, as a part of the Colorado
River Storage Project, is predicated upon the premise that there shall
not be any material change in the location and capacity of the reservoir
storage in the Upper Gunnison Basin, under the plan approved by the
Committee, either by the State of Colorado, acting through the Colorado
Water Conservation Board, the Bureau of Reclamation, or the Secretary of
the Interior, without resubmittal to and favorable comments by, the
affected local interests in the counties of Montrose, Delta and Gunnison
and by the Colorado River Water Conservation District Board,"

It was understood in the adoption of this motion that its provisions. do not
extend to engineering details and designs for construction to accomplish the
storage approved by the Co!ll1llittee.