September 19, 2007--New lake would be a liquid asset, supporters say (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)
The backers of Grand Valley Lake are hoping to float a deal in which the state will pay for a feasibility study for the proposed 2,000-acre lake on East Orchard Mesa. Lake promoters put out a feeler Tuesday to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, acquainting the statewide panel with the project, which would divert water from the Gunnison River, and promising to submit a formal application for funding of the study. The project needs the state’s help to determine whether it actually could fulfill its promise as a supplier of municipal and industrial needs and electricity. It’s also billed as a provider of water for endangered fish in a stretch of the Colorado River through the Grand Valley. Grand Valley Lake backers hope to divert Gunnison River water near Austin to a natural depression south of Mount Garfield, on the opposite side of the valley. It’s estimated the project would cost between $200 million and $500 million, with the biggest variable being the cost of digging a 60-mile canal, beginning near Austin, to the 19,000-acre-foot reservoir, backers said.
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