Operating principles, Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, adopted by the State of Colorado, April 30, 1959 (as amended December 30, 1959 and December 9, 1960)

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- ·~..--nouse Document No. 130

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OPERATING PRINCI~ES

FRYINGPAN-ARKANSAS

PRbJEZ

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ADOPTED BY THE STATE OF COLORADO APRIL 30, 1959

(As amended December 30, 1959, and December 9, 1960) ·

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MARCH 15, 1961.-0r.dered to be printed

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1961 ' .

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IN

'l'HE HousE OF REPRESEXT.-\TIVES,

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lo.larch 15, 1961.

Resolved, Thflt, there be printed as a House document the publica -tion entiLlecl "Opcratit~ Principles, Fryiugpan-Arkunsas Project, Adopted by the State of Colorado, April 30, 1959 (ns amended Decem -ber 30, 1959, and December 9, 1960)", and that there be printed

for

the use of the Committee on Iuterior and Insular Affairs one thousand additional copies.

Attest:

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OPERATING

PRINCIPLES, FRYINGPAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT

ADOPTEU BY THE STATE OF COLORADO, APRIL 30, 1959 ·

(As Amended December 30, 1959, and December 9, 1960)

The construcLion and operntion of the project involve the ·diversion of water from the headwaters of the Fryingpan River and other tributaries of the Roaring Fork River to the .Arkansas River Basin. The project

contemplat,es-(a) The maximum conservation and use of ,vater;

(b) The protection of western Colorado water uses, both existin~ and potential, in accordance with the declared policy of the State of Colorndo; and

(c) The preservation of recreational values.

In

order to n.ccomplish such purposes, the project shall be operated by the United States in compliance with the Federal reclamation laws, the laws of the State of Colorado relating to t.he appropriation, use, or dislribut.iou of water, and the following operating principles:

1. As used herein:

(a) "Project" means that certain enterprise planned and designed by the Bureau of Reclamation, Department

of

the

Interior, for the trnnsmounta.in diversion of water from the headwaters of the Fryingpn.n River nnd other tributnries of the Roaring Fork River to the basin of the Arkansas River, together with all of its nppurlenant works and facilities in both eastern and western Colorado.

(b) "Enstern Colorado" means thnt portion or the Stat.e of Colorado lying within the natural drnin:1ge bnsin of the Arkansas River.

(c) "W cstern Colorado" means tlrn,t port.ion of the State of Colom.do 1_..·ing within the nntural drainnge bnsin or tho Colornclo River and served

by

diversions mnde from t.he Colorado River, or its tributaries, above its confluente "ith the Gunnison River. (d) "Sout..henstern Colorado W n.ter Conscrvnncy District" means t.hat entity created to contract for payment to the United States of an appropriate portion of project cost allocated to certnin wnter uses in e:\st.ern Colorado.

(e) "Colorndo River Wat.er Cons<'rvation District" means

that entity created by Colorndo Revised St-:1tutes 1953, 149-8, as amended.

(f) "Southwestern ,v1\ter Conservntion District" menns that entity created by Colom.do Revised Statutes 1953, 149-9, as amended.

(g) "R uedi Reservoir" means the reservoir presently planned for const.ruction on the Fryingpan River above the town of

Basalt ns part of the project. '

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES, FfiYIKGPAX-ARKANSAS PROJECT

(h) "Ashrrort RL'sen·oir" means not onl_v the reservoir 1·.,.

ternplntPcl for conslruclio11 011 Cnstlc Creek, 11 tributary of t !

Rouring Fork River, but also, unless the context requires otli,·;

wise, any other reservoir tlrn.t may be construclecl in the Roari11. Fork Basin o.bove tlte town of Aspen in lieu of that rescn oir (i) "c.f.s." means cubic feet of w11ter per second of time. · 2. The Ruedi Reservoir shall be conslructe<l und m:1intai11ecl o1

the Fryingpan River above the town of Bnsnlt with an nct,ive cnpac·it I

of not less t,111111 100,000 ucrc-feet. In ucldition thereto rind in onl,;r

to offset ncl verse strcnmflow conclit ions on the Roitring Fork RiYPc

above the Lown of Aspen which might occur ns a rrsult of the projt'1·t enlurgement of the Twin Lakes Reservoir, the Ashcroft Reservoir 011 Ca.sllc Creek, or some reservoir in lieu thereof, shall he co11strv.ctl'il

on the Roaring Fork drainage above Aspen to 11 capacity of appr

oxi-mately 5,000 acre feet: Providing, howecer, That the Ashcroft l{escr

-voi1· slrnll be constructed only if the Secretnry of the Interior al'tt'I' appropriate study slrnll determine ti.mt its benefits exceed the costs: And providing further, Tlrnt no part of the construction, operntion, or mainl,enance of s11id Ashcroft Reservoir shull be chargeable t.o the Fryingpan-Arkans11s projrct.

All of such stored water shall be rcle1\sed under the conditions and

limit.ations hereinafter set. forth.

3. The re.e:.eipts from the sale of water from Ruedi Reservoir, ns

,permiLfcd in p:\ragraph G(b) hereof, shnll be ,lpplicd solely lo the opcr -itlion 11nd m1tinten1tnce costs nnd to those reimbursnblc conslrntl,ion

'costs of said reservoir which excPed $7 ,600,000. 'L'hl' cost of perpetual

·operntion and mt1intenr111ce o[ t.he R11C'di RrsPrvoir slrnll be borne b>· users of project w11ter itnd users of water stored in Ruedi Reservoir in such proportion ns may be determined by the Secretary of the Interior.

4. The inclusion of the Ruedi Rcscn·oir in the project shall not

preclude the construction of 11ny other replacement or regulatory

reservoirs on the Colorndo River or its tributaries above Cameo

gaging st.ation.

5. The Ruecli Reservoir sh.ill be completed and in operntion before

o.ny wn ter is d iv.erted to ens tern Colornclo b>· rne1rns of the project.. 6. (a) The replacement cnp11city of Ruccli Rt'servoir, 1wd nn>'

reservoir const.rncted.iu.11ddition thl'relo, is th11t portion of the tot.id

reservoir c11pacity required to permit project diversions nt times when

such diversions could not otherwise be made becuusc of simultaneous

dem11ncls of S('nior dinrsions in westrrn Colorado existing :it.. the t,illlll

or

!he 1td6pt1oii'

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these opernlin~ prineiplcs, and shall be so operated

1o

~~·co111plish this purpose. '\Yater ston'd in such c:1pacit~' shnll bo

refenscd by tht' U11itl'd Statt's, upon the request of the Colorado

St11t,e engineN, to the ext.l'11t. th1tL waler would hn.ve been avnililble

to S1lid decreed rights cxcl'pt for stn'11tll depletion rcsult,iug from

diversions by this project to the Arkansas Ynlley:

(b) The regul1\.Lor.Y c1\pacit_,. of Rucdi Rt'Sl'rvoir, 1tnd any resrrvoir

co11struetcd in 1uldition thereto, is th:1l portion of the total reservoir

cnpacity not. needed for replncl'111cnt. purposes. \'V:ttN stored in such c1ttt'gory llltlY be sold or lensed b_v t\ic United ~tales Lo water users in Colorndo for nny purpose l'l'<:ognized by the li\.ws of the United Sti1tes:

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Th:it the s11l1~ of \\'1tt<'r for use outside the naturnl bnsill of

the Colornc\o RiYCr cirn only be nrnde with the const>nt of the Colom do

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""----OPERATING PRI::--.rCJPLES, FHYJNGPA).T-ARKANSAS PRO.JECT

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· River Water Co11st'rv:1 tion District. Chifr~rs fort he use of such water

shall be cstnblislwd by tlw SrcrcLnry of thr Int.rrior by itpproprinte co11traeL in nccorda11c·e with the pa_y11w11L abilit.y of such water 11st•rs.

7. The primary purpose of H.1wdi Reservoir, nnd any reservoir co

n-sLrucLe<l in addition thereto, is Lo furnish, Lo Lhe extent of its cupacity,

in like mllnner ns if the project were 1~nstructcd l>y a water cons erv-ancy district organized pursuant to the l:iws oft.he State or Colorndo, the w,iter required for the protcet ion of western Colorado water users by t,he provisions of Colorndo Revised Statutes H)53, 149-6-13,

reading ns follows:

However, any works or faciliti<'~ planned ::i.nd dcsign<'d for the exportation of water from the n::i.tural basin of the Colorado H.ivcr and its trilrntarie~ in Colo-rado, by any distr_ict cr?:tied under this :,rticlc, sh:11! be subj~ct to the provisions of the Colorado River Compact and the Boulder C anyo11 Proicct Act. Any such works or fac)litics sh:111 be designed, constructed and operated in such a manner that the presPnt appropriations of water, and in addit.io11 thereto prospcctl\·c uses

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of waler for irrig:ttion and other bencffrial cons11mptive use purposes, including consumptive llS<'S for donwst ic, mining, and industrial purpo~Ps, within the nat-ural basin of the Colorndo Hivcr in thC' St::i.tc of Colorado, from which \rnlcr is I

exported, will not be impaired 11or increased in cost at the expense of the water / users within the nat.ural basin. The facilitirs and othpr rneaus for the accomplish-

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ment of said purpo~r shall be incorporated in, and made a part of n.11y project/ plans for the exportat.ion of water from said natural b::i.sin in Colorado.

8. Project diversions from Liine Creek shall be mnde only in the months of May and June of ·entd1 .\·ear, unless the Colorado River

"\Vat.er Conservation Disfrict, shall, by writ ten communication, advise the Colorado Stat c engineer tbu t addition1\l di versions can be made.

9. The respect.ive decrees which mny be or hil.ve been awarded to the parties hereto ns it part of the Fryingp:ui-Arknnsns project and Basalt project shall be ndrninistered by the proper officials of the State of Colorado in accordance with the applictlble laws of the State

of ColornJo, and with the following principles nnd procedures, to wit:

(1) Tha.t the demand on the waters n.vaibble under such decrees shall be allociltrd in the following sequence:

(a) For diversion to the Ark1rnsas Valley tlu·ough the collectio11 system and the facilities of the Fryingpan-Ark:rnsas

project in an amoui:it not exceeding un aggregate of 120,000 acre-feet of water m any yei1r, but not t,o exceed a total

aggreg11te of 2,352,SOG a<ore-feet in any period of 34 cons

ecu-tive years reckoned in continuing progressive series starting with the first full year of diwrsions, both limitations herein being exclusive of Ron.rinf! Fork exchanges as provided in

(c) below, nnd exclusive of diversions for the Busk-Iv:rnhoe decree; nncl with the further nnd absolute limitation that in order to protect exist,ing 11,nd future bencficittl uses of water in

western Colorado, including reereational a.nd fishing values, the State engineer shall so rcguln le the transmoun ta,in diver-sions a,bove referred to. to the end that no diversions shall be

made which will rnch;ce the renHtining aggregate

strea.rn-flows to less than either of the following minim um standards:

-(i) The Fryingpnn collect.ion system at the points

of diversion collect.ivdv, exelusive of Lime Creek: 15

c.f.s. October 1 through l\fnrch 31; 30 c.f.s. April 1

through ~cptcmber 30.

(ii) N car Norrie (immediiltel:v below the ju nctiou

of North Fork nnd Fryingpitn River): 30 c.f.s. October

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES, FITYINGPAN'-ARKANSAS PROJECT 1 through 1'fnrch 31; 100 c.f.s. April I through April 30;

150 c.f.s. :\lity l through :\fay :31; 200 c.f.s . . June 1 Lhrough

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:30; 100 c.f.s. July l through July 31;

75 c.f.s. August 1 through August 31; {3,5 c.f.s. September

1 through Srptember 30.

In mnintuining the nbovc rninimurn stnn<lnr<ls, the

projl'ct diversions shall be rrguln Led, _s.Q..Jar....:.1s i$_

µrnc.-~cn.~ in such n manner thut th<' North Fork of the

y 0 pun River, tuc Fryi11gpnn River, nnd cnch of 1,he

tributnrirs of those strearns, shnll cont ribut.e to the

residu1tl stri•nrnflows required by those minimum sLnn<l

-o.rds quantities of water in proportion to thcu· nl\Lurnl

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(b) For storuge in Ruedi Reservoir lo the extent of its

1tctuul cupaciLy, which is Lo be not less tluw 100,000 ac re-foct.

(c) For 3,000 acre-feet annually, to the extent, that it is

avnilahle in excess of (a) and (b) above, or such pnrt thereof

as mr..y be required, to be delivered to the Twin Lnkes

Reservoir & Cnnnl Co. in exchange for· cquivnlent releasc•s

from Lhc hea<lwntcrs of the Ronring Fork River which would

otherwise be diverted through sucli Twin Lakes .Reserrnir

& Canal Co. collection 1tnd divcrsiou system.

(d) For any other beneficial use in western Colomdo in accordance with court decree, bu 1, 11ot, berC'in co11tem plated.

(2) The effectuation of the above principles requires concu

r-rent, Fryin&pnn-Arkansns project di,·C'rsion 1wd Ruedi Rcsen·oir

storage to IJe accomplished in the mn,nner followiug: The Sln.tc

engineer annually shall collect perlinent dnta, including in

fornrn-tion perLaining to snow pllck and nil ot,l.ier availnblc evidence,

and slrnll thereafter so divide o.nd apportion t,hc surface rnnofi' as

to achieve, as nenrly ns possible, the foregoing division of water

and the maximum of concurrent dinirsions and storngo. The

diversions herein cont,emplaLed shnll be on tho basis of n, water

year hereby defined ns Llrn.t interim of October 1 through the

following SepLember 30.

10. For the protection of rccrco.tional values, iududing fishing, on

the Fryingpan River below Ruedi Reservoir, releases of water from

said reservoir, not, to exceed the stream inflow, shull be mndc so thnt

the streamflow immedint<-ly brlow the junclion of the Fr?ingpn.u

River and Rocky Fork shall not be reduced below

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c.f.s. from

November 1 to .i\.pril 30, and 110 c.f.s. from Mn.y 1 to October 30, or

as actual experience or court, decree sho.11 bercaftN' dictnte.

11. An o.ppropriitte writ ten conLrnrt m1ty be made ,\·hrreh.,· Twin Lakes Reservoir & Canal Co. sh11ll rcfruin from divcrLing \\-1ttcr

when-ever the natural flow of the Ro11ring Fork Rivpr and its tribut,uriPs

shnll be only snOicirnt Lo mnintn.in

n,

flow equul to 0r less thnn tlrnt

required to maintain the recommended nvenig<' Hows in the Ronriog

Fork Ri,·cr immediatch· above iLs conflue1we wiLh Difficult. Creek in

a quanLity proport ionnte to the rrsprct.ive naturnl llow of t hi' Roaring Fork River. The rrrommc1Hlrd 1n'crugc llo\\'S n boYe men I ion rd are

flows in quant,it.ies Cf\lHtl Lo t,hose rccommrndrd us a minimum

imme-diately ttbove it,s confluence with Difficult, Creek uccording t.o lhc

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES, FRYl~GPA~-ARKANSAS PROJECT

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following SC'hedule submitted by the United Stat,es Fish and Wildlife

Service .nnd the Colorndo Game and Fish Commission: Month October •••••••••••••••••• November----___ ·---·-December •••..••••••..••. January ...•...• February .•...•..••••. March .••..•.••••••..•••• AprlL ..•••.••.•••••.••••.

A vera~o

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Aero-feet

second-feet (thousands) Month second-feet Average

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(thAcrousundse-feet )

« 35 29 26 25 24 64 2. 7 May... 100 6. 2 2.1 June... 120 7.1 1. ll July... 100 6. 2 I. 6 AugusL... 63 3. 9 1.4 September... 44 2.6 ). 5 3. 8 TotaL.. •• •• •• ••••• ••••••• ••• •• 40. 0

In mointaining the above nveragcs, at no time shn.11 the flow be

reduced below 15 c.f.s. during the months of August to April,

in-clusive, or below GO c.f.s. during tue months of Mn.y to July, inclusive,

providing the natural flow duxing said period is not less .thon these

amounts. 'fhe obligation to supply the minimum streamflow as set

forth in the above table on the Roaring Fork River shall, to the extent

of 3,000 rrcrc-fcet annunJly, be a project oblignt,ion Lo be supplied from

nny waters diverted from the soutu Lribut,aries of Hunt.er Creek, Lime

Creek, Last Clrnnce Creek, or nny of t,hem.

The Twin Lakes Reservoir & Canal Co. shnll not be required to

refrain from diverting wl1ter under its existing decrees from the

Roaring Fork River except Lo t,be exteut thl1t n like quant.ity of

replacement wnter is furnished to said company without eliargc

thcrrfor t.hrough nnd by means of project diversions and storngn.

If by reason of stornge cnpacity iu the Rucdi Reservoir, or nny

reservoir constructed in ndditiou thereto, the Twin Ln.kes Reservoir

& Canal Co. derives additional water or other benefits or adYl1ntagcs

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would not have realized had this project not. been constructed, then

nothing herein contained shall prevent. the project from making

appropriate charges for such wll.ter or other benefits or advnntagcs.

All revenues derived from the use of water stored in Ashcroft Reser

-voir slll1ll be 'used to assist in the repayment of the constructiou,

oprration, and maintenn.ncc costs of t.bat reservoir, or any reservoir

constructed iu lieu thereof, as may be determined by the Secretary

of the Interior.

12. All lands acquired and held for project construction nnd opern.

-tion and water surfaces of project reservoirs will be open to the public for recreational pmposes, excepting those areas reserved by tho oprrating agency.

13. The project will be opernted in such a manner that those in

eastern Colorado using project "·ater imported from the Colorndo

River Basin for domestic purposes slH1ll have preference over those

claiming or using water for any other purpose.

14. The project is to be operntcd in such 11 mnuuer as to secure the

greatest benefit from the use n11d reuse of imported project waters

within project bonndnries i11 the St.ate of Colorndo. .

15. Any nncl 1111 bendits and rights of western Colom.do water users

in 1rnd to water stored in Green Mountnin Reservoir, ns described and

defined in Senn.Le Document SO, 75th Congress, lsL session, sh1ill not

be impnired or diminished by this project.

16. The project, its opemtion, 11111.intcnu.ncc, and use shnll be s

ub-ject. to the provisions of the Upper Colorn<lo River Ilasin Compact of

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES, FRYINGPAN-ARKANSAS PROJECT

Oclober 11, 1948 (Puhlic

L:tw

:37

,

81st Con~., 1st sess.), and the

Colorado Riv('!' Comp1Lct

or

Novcmucr 24, 1!)22 (II. Doc. 1305, G7th

Cong., 4th sl'ss.). ·

17. The Colorn<lo River Water Conserv11.t.ion District of [.he State

of Colorado shnll acquire tille to slomge of wat.er in Ruedi Reservoir

and any reservoir conslruclc<l in addition thereto, by a.ppropriaLe proceedings in the C'Ourls of the ~talc of Colorado. The Southeastern Colorndo 'Wat.er Co11scrvtrncv District of Lhe State of Colorado shall likewise acquire title to the ":1iter required by the project for <liv<.'rsion

to Lhe Ark1insas Valley. The Secrctury of th<.' lntcrior shall at any time after the 1wthori:r.ation of the project haYe the option to obtain

or require the t.rnnsfcr to the United St:1.tcs of 11.ny 11.nd ull rights initiated or acquired by appropri1llion as herein S<'t forth:

P

rovided,

h

owever,

That the rights so taken shall be subject to a be11efici1il use

of such wuter as Illa.,· be proYide<l in the rep:tyment conlrnct or

co11-trncts, and sul>ject to 111! the opernting principles herein set forth. 18. Ko tmnsmountain diversion of water shall ever be mnde through

the collection and diversion system of the Fryingpan-Arkansns proj('Ct in excess of the quantillLlivc limitatio11s nncl conditions establisll<.'d hy this document,:

Protvide

d, however,

Tlrnt ,\·hen, under the la.ws of the

SLtite of Colorado, there may he additional water available for such

collection and diversion which is not. ut tho ti1,1c of diversion required

for benefici11l use in western Colorado or for filling i11 Lcrstate water compn6t agreements, then such water may be collected uud diverted for beneficial use in the Arkansas Yallc>·:

Pr

ovidcd,Jurthe

r,

That. such additional diversion shall onh· be made with l he mutual conscn L of

eaC'h of the follo,Ying agencies of the Stttlc of Colorado, Lo wit: the Colontdo \Vatcr ConservaLion Board, the Southwestern \iVatcr Con

-servation Distrid, the Colorado RivN \Yater Conservation District,

and the Southeastern Colorado Wnler Conservancy Dist.rict.

19. To assure project operation in conformity with the operating principle heretofore stated, to provide o. means for the collection o.nd int.erchangc of inform11tion, und to provide o. method for the con-tinued stud.v of project operutions to the end that,·if the stated oper-ating principles may be imprond upon, rcco1111ueo<lntions for changes may be made to the contracting parties, a. commission shall be created

in an appropritlLe nrnnner Lo be composed of one rcprcscnlutivc of

the South<.'nstcrn Colon1do \V11lcr Cons!'rvancy District, one r epre-sentative of the Colorado River \Yt1L<.'r Cons<'rvation DisLricL, t.wo

representa.lives of the United Sinlcs, 1U1d oue representative of the Sta.to of Colorndo appointed by the Colorado W1lter Conserv11.tion Board after consul tat ion with the Colorndo Game a.nd Fish Commis

-sion. The powers of such commission shall be limited to the c

ollec-tion of diita., the making of findings of fact, 1\11(1 th<' suggestion of

changes in opernLing principles.

These op<.'rnLi11g principles shnll be deemed to ha.ve amended a.nd take the plnce of those opcrnting principles signed a.nd executed on

April 30, 1959. These operating principles slrnll be and do consLituto

a cont.met between the signittory parties, and shnll inme Lo tho l>oncfit

of nnd $lrnll be t1nd remain binding upon s11id part,ies, their rcspcctivo

successors nnd nssigns.

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OPERATING PRINCIPLES, FRYINGPAi'f-ARKANSAS PROJECT

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Exccut,cJ as amended

u.t

Denver, Co!o., lhis 9th dn.y of December 1960.

Aucst:

CoLOttADo vVATER Co:-lsEnvATION BOARD.

By STEVE

McN"

ICHOLS, Chairman;

Governor, State of Golora.do.

FELIX L. SPARKS,

Director and Secretary.

At,test:

J.

G. SHOUN, Secretary. Attest: PHILIP

P.

SMITH, Secretary. AU.est: ARCHIE

B.

TONER, Secretary.

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SouTnEASTERN COLORADO '\VATER CONSERV A;s"CY D ISTilICT. By

J.

SELBY YouNG, President.

COLORADO RIVER WATER CoN-SERYATION DrS'l'RICT.

By A. ALLEN BROWN, President.

SOUTHWESTERN

w

ATER CONS ER-VATION D1STIUCT.

By IRA

E.

KELLY, President.

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