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o I"- e,:) C-J PROJECT PLAN The West Divide Project would provide water for irrigation, municipal, industrial, and rural domestic uses by storage regulation of West Divide Creek, and by pumping and offstream storage of Colorado River water. It would also provide fish and wildlife benefits and new recreational oppor- tunities. West Divide Creek water would be stored in Kendig Reservoir for irrigation of the higher lands to the west and for municipal and light industrial use, Water from Kendig Reservoir would be distributed by the West Divide Canal for irrigation. Colorado River water would be pumped into the Dry Hollow Feeder Canal by the Divide Creek Pumping Plant near the town of Silt. Along its course, releases from the feeder canal would irrigate lands below it. At the terminus of the canal, part of the water would flow directly into the Cache Creek Canal for irrigation of lower benchlands in the Mamm Creek-Hunter Mesa area and the entire East Battlement area. Water would also be pumped at the terminus of the canal by the Dry Hollow Pumping Plant Unit No. I, where it would be stored in Dry Hollow Reservoir for irrigation and ex~ change for higher quality water from Beaver and Battlement Creeks for M&l use. During the irrigation season, water from Dry Hollow Reservoir would be pumped by Dry Hollow Pumping Plant Unit No.2 to the Hunter Mesa Canal for irrigating lands above the Cache Creek Canal in the Divide~Mamm Creek and Hunter Mesa areas, that could not be adequately served by the West Divide Canal. Releases from Dry Hollow Reservoir would also be made to Cache Creek Canal at peak-demand times when the feeder canal flow was inadequate. Some water from the Hunter Mesa Canal would be pumped by the West Divide Pumping Plant to the West Divide Canal to augment supplies from Kendig Reservoir. Wherever necessary, laterals would be constructed to distribute irrigation water from the canals and to develop gravity pressure for sprinkler irrigation. As far as possible, however, existing ditches would be used. Drains would also be provided as needed. SOCIO-ECONOMIC The West Divide Project will cost approximately $120 million and will return annual benefits of about $7.5 million, based on 1979 prices. Agri~ culture will generate about 80 percent of the benefits, with municipal and industrial water, recreation, and fish and wildlife contributing the remain- ing 20 percent. The project would provide a full water supply to about 10,450 acres of presently nonirrigated land, and a supplemental supply to about 14,850 acres of presently irrigated land on which water shortages occur annually. This would have a significant impact on agricultural production in the project area by providing some new jobs in the farming industry and creating new activity for those businesses that provide goods and services to area farmers.