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<br />" <br /> <br />the said natural basin."93 <br /> <br />The provision then refers to the <br /> <br />facilities "and other means" that will be utilized to accomplish <br /> <br />this purpose. <br /> <br />When the Bureau of Reclamation was building such <br /> <br />projects it may have made sense to satisfy this requirement <br /> <br />through compensatory storage. <br /> <br />Now, however, it is time to <br /> <br />consider some alternative approaches. <br /> <br />The requirement that present appropriations of water not be <br /> <br />impaired or increased in cost can be addressed through mitigation <br /> <br />measures determined by engineering and hydrologic studies of <br /> <br />project effects. As the Windy Gap example has shown, potentially <br /> <br />impacted interests are likely to come forward to seek protec- <br /> <br />tion. <br /> <br />In that case, mitigation and compensation measures were <br /> <br />agreed to through a negotiation process. <br /> <br />The protection to be accorded to prospective consumptive use <br /> <br />of water is more problematic. <br /> <br />Such prospective uses are inher- <br /> <br />ently speculative. <br /> <br />It is difficult to know now how to insure <br /> <br />that such unknown uses will not be impaired or increased in <br /> <br />cost. <br /> <br />Compensatory storage does address this concern but at a <br /> <br />cost that may no longer be acceptable. <br /> <br />Rather than committing <br /> <br />limited resources to such projects it may make more sense to <br /> <br />establish a development fund, the money from which would be <br /> <br />available to provide assistance for future water needs in the <br /> <br />basin of origin.94 <br /> <br />93Colo. Rev. Stat. 837-45-118(b) (IV) (1973). <br /> <br />94Governor Lamm has recommended a "basin o.f origin equity <br />fund." ("Whose Water Will It Be/What Future Does It Shape for <br />Colorado?" Presentation at Tenth Annual Water Workshop, <br /> <br />38 <br />