WSP10951 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

C\l ~ ~ N Silt and Grand Valley. This irrigation water supply would consist of about 32,600 acre-feet for an estimated 10,450 acres of arable land that are not presently irrigated, and about 31,400 acre-feet to supple- ment the supplies for 14,850 acres of land that are now irrigated but need more water. About 19,630 acres of the total project lands are in the Divide Creek-Hunter Mesa area south of the town of Silt. The remaining 5,670 acres are on the lower mesas and along the adjacent drainageways south of the river between the towns of Rifle and Grand Valley. The lands to be irrigated were selected on the basis of a detailed land classification survey completed by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1959. This survey delineated arable lands in the project area after investiga- tion of soil, topographical, and drainage characteristics. In order to use fully the limited water supply, 7,320 acres in the Hunter Mesa and Upper Mamm Creek areas and 3,660 acres between Beaver and Cottonwood Creeks have been selected for sprinkler irrigation. These lands are believed to have suitable topography for sprinkler application, and the elevation of the proposed canals would enable the development of gravity water pressure. Water would be delivered to the farm headgates by a pipe lateral system. The on-farm distribu- tion and sprinkler system would be the responsibility of individual farm operators. The remaining 14,320 acres of project lands would be provided water for conventional surface irrigation. These lands are east of Mamm Creek, west of Cottonwood Creek, and in narrow strips too close to the canals for adequate pressure to be developed. A slightly higher allocation of water would be provided to these lands to compensate for the lower irrigation efficiency of surface application. RECREATION The West Divide Project would provide recreational facilities at both Kendig and Dry Hollow Reservoirs. The Dry Hollow recreation area would be on the southeast shore of the reservoir because it is gently sloped, yet steep enough to accommodate a boat ramp and to avoid too much shore being exposed when the reservoir is drawn down. This area also has pinon-juniper vegetation, ~aking it suitable for camping and picnicking. The Kendig recreation area would be at the southern end, on the east shore of the reservoir, since this site is the only sufficiently large, geo- logically stable, gently sloping area around the reservoir. The area does not have any tree cover, however, as it is now a cultivated field. The recreational facilities would consist of a campground, picnic area, sanitary facilities, boat ramp, and dock at each reservoir. The Colorado Division of Wildlife or a similar agency is expected to administer land obtained for wildlife mitigation and to stock the reservoirs with sport fish. Annual visitation is expected to reach 82,000 recreation days at Dry Hollow Reservoir by 1985, while Kendig Reservoir is expected to have 51,000 recreation days by 1985.