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<br /> <br />Maior Physical, Legal, and Institutional Characteristics <br /> <br />". <br /> <br />Platoro Reservoir and to begin repayment of the construction costs allocated <br />to irrigation. In 1991, the district paid off the federal government with a <br />loan from the Colorado Conservation Board and assumed full responsibility <br />for the operation ofPlatoro Reservoir from the BuRec. Operation ofPlatoro <br />Dam reverts to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) during flood control <br />operations. The district serves about 86,000 irrigable acres. Primary crop <br />production consists of native hay and alfalfa. Barley, oats, wheat, and <br />potatoes are produced in smaller quantities. In 1996, the average value per <br />irrigated acre for all crops in the district was $149 (Conejos Water <br />Conservancy District 1996). District board members are appointed for a four <br />year tenn and represent fanners and property owners in the district. <br /> <br />;-i <br /> <br />"'-;' <br /> <br />s <br /> <br />San Luis Valley Irrigation District. This district, comprised of <br />58,525 irrigated acres, covers portions of Rio Grande, A1amosa, and <br />Saguache Counties in Colorado. It was fonned in 1904 as it reorganization of <br />the Fanners Union. The district owns the Rio Grande Reservoir and is <br />responsible for maintaining and delivering water to district members. <br />Primary crop production consists of potatoes, carrots, and moravian barley. <br />District members elect five board members for a three year term. <br />Membership on the district board is limited to farmers who own land under <br />the district. <br /> <br />;.', <br />':;., <br /> <br />Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD). The MRGCD, by <br />controlling most of the consumptive use of surface water in the Middle Rio <br />Grande Valley, plays a central role in the management ofthe Basin's water <br />and related resources. It was fonned in 1925 to decrease flooding in the <br />Middle Rio Grande area, drain water from wet areas, increase the storage of <br />water, and establish a water-distribution and river-control system <br />appropriate for the goals of the mostly agricultural landowners within the <br />district (Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District 1993). The conservancy <br />district is a political subdivision ofthe state of New Mexico, and it has <br />authority to levy property taxes to support its activities. The district <br />originally hoped that the increased value of lands reclaimed by its activities <br />would yield sufficient tax revenue to perpetuate its activities, but this did not <br />materialize. After building EI Vado Dam to store water, digging 475 miles of <br />irrigation canals, assuming control of 214 miles of existing canals, con- <br />structing diversion dams at Cochiti, Angostura, Isleta, and San Acacia to <br /> <br />-" <br /> <br />~~ <br />",:. <br /> <br />[i' f) 9 1; <br />'..1 t:.. \. _~ V <br /> <br />25 <br />