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<br />DOLORES PROJECT, COLORADO <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />Februarv 1975 <br /> <br />LOCATION <br /> <br />Dolores and Montezuma Counties in Southwestern ColoradO on the Upper <br />Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />AUTHORIZATION <br /> <br />Construction, operation and maintenance of the Dolores Project was <br />authorized by the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1958 <br />(Public Law 90-537) It is a participating project of the Colorado. River <br />Storage Project enacted April 11, 1955. (Public Law 84-485) <br /> <br />STATUS <br /> <br />The Bureau of Reclamation is in the process of finishing its Advance <br />Planning investigations of this project. A definite Plan report is <br />scheduled for completion in July of 1975. An Environmental Impact <br />Statement is scheduled to be completed in August of 1975. The Bureau <br />of Reclamation is also scheduled to execute a repayment contract with <br />the Dolores Water Conservancy District and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe <br />in September of 1975. <br /> <br />PROJECT NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES <br /> <br />The Dolores Project would develop and manage water from the Qolores <br />River for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, recreation, and fish <br />and wildlife enhancement. It would also provide flood control, improve <br />summer and fall river flows downstream, and aid in the economic rede~el- <br />opment of the area. The project area is currently characterized by high <br />unemployment and depressed incomes. The approximately 1200 member Ute <br />Mountain Ute Tribe have been subsiding largely on funds received a <br />number of years ago from oil, gas and uranium leases. None of the <br />resources have proved to be economical to develop under current condi- <br />tions. Tribal funds are now almost exhausted. The Tribe has a 2500 <br />head beef cattle herd that grazes on the sparce vegetation on the <br />reservation and receives supplemental feed from a few ranches located! <br /> <br />4 <br />