WSP10596

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 8/12/1957
• Title: Field Examination Report - Proposed Kerber Creek Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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There are about 62,777 Mree in the proposed project divided a.bout as follows:

Acre,

Private land
Unincorporated towntJ
. Bur$4l1 of Land Management
U. S. ForestSe2'lTice

Totai.

12,980
560
6.6.40
~.597

~. 7?7

There are 2,980 s.cresotpll.tented mining c1..iJllS w:j.thin tha~tionalFore$t
The private lllJid is oWil~ by 15 land. ownere, eighter whom o\m aDd operate'
11,760 acres. Seventi~.:these are affected by irrigation or overf'lov from.,
Kerber Creek. The r-ij'#-l;111ng private land is idle at this tillle. About 2,450
acres ot the private~!ld is irrigated meadov. About half of the baJ.ance is
in forest cover and. ~.~e and about half is grazing land. About 400 acrl!lS of
the irrigated meadowh$j'been abandonedbeca.use of'sed11llentation and this a.,rea
proauced about 380 tCilisof' hIlT as late as 1940. ~

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Seven le.n4 owersowli.;'ittl decreed rights on Kerber Creek consiating of 7S"c;,f. s.
of water including 23.cU'.s. decreed before 1870 with lD.Ost of,the other rights
.:i 900 . "".f"
antede.t ng 1 . ,<','

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~sor:l.t)tlotl mlSl ~bl~"Jm Private S ~ Lande~ ~ Elevatiw
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Topography varies tro.Jjr:;~teep broken cUtts to gently rolling and sloping benches.

SoUs are generally l;,[)iht to madiUl/!in texture arid.. ere gre.velJ.Yand,' ~ckyl. . Sol1
depth varies trOll1 modeI';(tsly deep along lD.Ost oJ;' the benches. to very shallow on
SOllIe ot the ridges a.n4'JJteeper slopes. Water penetration into the soU is good
and the 1lO1lhas a goq.1"storage capacity exoep"t 011 the steeper and more shallow
al'ef.llil. The eolls aN easily eroded o~ca the cover ie removed oX" destroyed. .

Valley13enches. Msin;J.ya grassland sHe now in poor and fair oond1t.ion.' Cover
cons.istil oJ: rabbit bfuah and snake 1IEleQ, with an undercover of Blue Grllllla,Western .
Wheat, F1'1nged Sage, .'and' other forbs. .

Sballow FoothUls. C(jyeroo ma.i.nly with Pinon and Juniper. ConditfoltVQl:'ies
from poor to fair. MO./3t'1mportant plants are Blue Grama, Western Wheat, Needle
and Thread Grass. w:l.!Il1 R:l.ce Grass, Sfu1d..Orop~. a11d' 8ttJe:.;r:tllpll<<fesctw
a.tlIi Prusb..am1.,;~eds;;, ~...' . '. :.. '. - 1:"'

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Problems Inaludl.l;

1. Small gully control on the side drainages to control runoff and to provide
additional stocltwater.

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