Laserfiche WebLink
<br />WATER SOURCES <br />Additional reservoir storage of spills from McPhee is a potential source of water, An analysis of <br />the Dolores River hydrology and the operational history McPhee indicates that a five year period <br />between spills is reflective of worst case hydrologic conditions, <br /> <br />Additional water could potentially be made available as a result of ongoing negotiations between <br />the District and the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company (MVIC), Water provided by MVIC <br />will probably be restricted to use within the District because MVIC believes the water available <br />from their water rights is a community resource that must be used within the community. <br /> <br />The District has about 5,200 acre-feet of water that is being held in reserve for future municipal <br />and industrial uses, Depending upon a number of factors, it may be possible that a portion of the <br />municipal and industrial water might be converted to other uses or used for interim periods, <br /> <br />According to conservative estimates, the average Dolores River runoff can be augmented by <br />17,600 acre-feet per year through cloud seeding, providing enhancements for irrigation, <br />recreational boating and the downstream fishery, <br /> <br />FACILITY COMPONENTS <br />Analysis of the Dolores Project facilities has shown that the Dove Creek Canal can carry water <br />for an additional 4,100 acres through Reach 1, 2,300 acres through Reach 2, and 1,100 acres <br />through Reach 3, Also, the existing pumping plants can serve an additional 1,200 acres provided <br />that additional distribution pipelines are constructed. In order to utilize this existing delivery <br />capacity, WETPACK anticipates increased irrigation up to the capacity of the existing facilities. <br />Another, 2,000 acres in the Reach 3 area can potentially be irrigated with the construction of a <br />new Sharp's Creek Reservoir using water delivered through the canal in off peak periods, <br /> <br />Potential new storage facilities include either Plateau or Beaver Creek Reservoirs upstream of <br />McPhee Reservoir that would store spills and other non-project water if available. There is also <br />small storage sites such as gravel pits and river alluvium that are being investigated, <br /> <br />Rehabilitating the existing Totten Reservoir would provide an additional 3,300 acre-feet of <br />storage but a pump and pipeline to convey water from the reservoir to the Towaoc-Highline <br />Canal would be necessary to utilize the water, <br /> <br />AL TERNA TIVE PLANS <br />Six alternative plans were formulated and evaluated as part of the Reconnaissance Study which <br />are described below, <br />hi L)"""....... ;V/I--- <br />Plan A maximizes the irrigated lands and fishery water by using all of the water that could <br />potentially be available, In this plan 6,100 acres ofland are served and 3,300 acre-feet of fishery <br />water is provided, Sharps Creek Reservoir is needed to serve 2,000 acres of land. The water is <br />provided by 8,000 acre-feet from MVIC in 9 of 10 years, 3,000 acre-feet from Plateau Reservoir <br />storage of spills, 1,000 acre-feet from Totten Reservoir, and 2,000 acre-feet of Project M&I <br />water converted to irrigation, <br /> <br />kS- ;z. <br />