Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act

The Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer to the City of Ouray, Colorado, all right, title, and interest of the United States in, and water rights associated with, the Crystal Reservoir site. This includes the reservoir itself, Full Moon Dam and its facilities, Full Moon Ditch and Reservoir Number 10, and roughly 45 acres of land surrounding and underlying the reservoir (as depicted on a Forest Service map). The transfer would be by quitclaim deed and would include the associated water rights described in a 1942 Colorado decree. The conveyance would be at little or no cost to the City, but the City would face certain conditions (easements for existing trails/roads, responsibility for ongoing maintenance, keeping the land open for public recreation with no access fees, and limits on development). A reversion option exists if the land ceases to be used in accordance with the bill’s terms. The City would also be allowed to use the Red Mountain Ditch for decreed Colorado water purposes, and water management would continue under Colorado law.