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<br />,'__'''''" .~,_. "_<;':;;;;-''''''~~'''''_'....,.""':wM-~' ,;..t',"_..~" ,- '" <br /> <br />(4) About 2,300 acres of presently irrigated land in scattered <br />trncts c.lunG the Dulores River above the McPhee Reservoir site that <br />cCiU1d receive scmo supp10mental water frOJll the stren.I:l in exchanco <br />for storo.cc wo.ter that would be released to :prior ri[5hts. <br /> <br />The capacity of the McPhee Reservoir site ws estiI:nted by <br />PI'"jectinG throu[5h 50 feet of elevation the area-capacity curve mde froo <br />a previous survey. More accurate capn.city determinations can be ~de <br />fra:! topoara.phic data scheduled to be obtained this year by'o.eria1 pho- <br />to(7'o.:phy. Tho actual resorvoir capacity will be si(lllificant in the for- <br />mulation of the oost desirable plan and in determinina project justifi- <br />ability. <br /> <br />Perhaps the most important question bearing on project juetifi- <br />ability is the amount of water from the Dolores River required to satisfy <br />ri[5hts prior to those of the project. The Montezum Valley IrriGQ.tiun <br />Company ho.s an absolute decreed ri[5ht to irrigate 35,000 acres. In o.ddi- <br />tion the company has a conditionn1 right for 49,479 acree. Both riGhts <br />are bo.eed on the irrigntion of 65 acres per second-foot cf water. Our <br />studies showed that aside from meadow lands irrigated by seepage the <br />cU1:lpany is o.ctually irrigntine only 30,550 acres and has an addi tiunal <br />9,450 acres of arable land under its ditches. We assUIllCd, therefore, <br />that with develol:ment of the Dolores project the company's actual wter <br />use would be limited to 40,000 acres and that the !:lIlximUJ:1 rate of 1 <br />second-foot for 65 acres would apply only for the period May 15 throuch <br />AU@lst and wuuld be lower before and after that period. It is, of cuurso, <br />not intended that the company's water riGhts be restricted below the q.UIln- <br />tity of wo.ter that it can apply to beneficial use. On the other hand, <br />reservation for the company of water substantially in excess of ita nctunl <br />needs would surely prevent the further development outlined in this report. <br />The company has pending before the district court a request to Il1Ilke abso- <br />lute a riGht for 11,000 acres of its 49,479-acre conditional right, and <br />in additiun it has asked for 100 second-feet for domestic purposes. The <br />srnntinr; of these requests would seriously iopair the possibility of a <br />Dolores project develo:pment. <br /> <br />v <br /> <br />AmonG other IJD.tters that should be further considerec. in future <br />planning are these: <br /> <br />1. The practicability of hydrcelectric power development uti- <br />lizinr; water released from the McPhee Reservoir into the Dolores <br />Rivor. <br /> <br />2. The desirability of includinG in the project plan facilities <br />to provide municipal water to sll1ll11 communities in tho Dove Creek <br />area.. <br /> <br />3. The advisability of reducinG the theoretical irrigation <br />water requireI:Jents used in the present study since these appear to <br />allow more water than ia beinG used in the Mancos project in south- <br />western Colorado. <br /> <br />2 <br />