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<br />. <br /> <br />. Decernb"r5, 1989 RECEIVED <br />DEe 1 1 '89 <br /> <br />...~, <br /> <br />UNIOO PARK - 'mE PUBLIC'S WATER CHOICE <br /> <br />COLORADO WATEA <br />ccm.L..WI'ION <br />BOARD <br /> <br />... <br />:' <br />...,1 <br />U\ <br /> <br />Coloradans should stop worrying about the Two Forks' veto. For the first <br />time, Colorado has a water project that will unite its people on both slopes. <br /> <br />The innovative Union Park Project is quite simple. Instead of Colorado <br />losing a yearly ,average million acre feet of its entitled Gunnison flood <br />waters to California, a small portion of these wasted waters will be pumped <br />into union Park's off-river, sage covered bowl on the Continental Divide. In <br />droughts, this Two Forks sized reservoir will release water by gravity conduit <br />and siphon to the river environments on both slopes. <br /> <br />union Park was first envisioned by Marvin Greer, a retired Bureau of <br />Reclamation engineer and father of Colorado's Big Thompson Project. Greer <br />recognized how advanced pumped storage technology could be applied to this <br />overlooked, high altitude reservoir site. He was 73 when he helped form <br />Natural Energy Resources Company in 1982 to develop the potential of union <br />Park. In 1986 the company disclosed the details of its multipurpose concept <br />when it filed in water court for a diversion from the Gunnison. <br /> <br />The Union Park Project was sold to farsighted Arapahoe County in 1988. <br />Arapahoe County and the City of Aurora have recently agreed to cooperate <br />instead of compete for the Gunnison's flood waters. The City of Gunnison, <br />Parker, and Castlewood Water Districts are initial union Park participants. <br />The Denver Water Departrrent and other Metro Denver water providers are <br />expected to join, when they are freed from Two Forks enough to consider Union <br />Park's extraordinary envirorunental and economic advantages. <br /> <br />union Park can unite Colorado on water, because it satisfies today's <br />public values regarding the envirorunent, recreation, and economic efficiency. <br />Envirorunentalists are not in the habit of endorsing large water projects. But <br />those who have taken an objective look, are impressed with Union Park's <br />capability to benefit river flows and wetlands during droughts. union Park is <br />environmentally, unique because its remote, off-river site can enhance <br />Colorado's treaSured rivers and canyons. <br /> <br />Colorado's water community is also starting to recognize union Park's <br />surprising advantages. When Union Park is used as backup drought insurance <br />for Metro Denver's existing reservoirs, Corps of Engineer'S computer modeling <br />has confirmed Denver's safe yield multiplies by 2 acre feet for every acre, <br />foot of Gunnison water actually diverted. This "multiplier" phenomenon is <br />upsetting for many water traditionalists, because it is a key reason Union <br />Park's safe yield cost is only about half that of their Two Forks Project. <br /> <br />If Colorado's powerful, appointed water experts were to allow state 1vater <br />planning, the ~unnison's untapped flood waters would quickly surface as the <br />state's lOClst logical future water source. It is only a matter of time until <br />the balanced Union Park Conservation Project becomes the public'S water choice <br />for all of Colorado. <br /> <br />Abner Watts P. E. a,.,.; <br />Retired Bureau of Reclamation Executive Engineer <br />7231 W. Bayaud Place, Denver, CO. 80226 <br />(303)237-3449 <br />