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:i,?~ '.'" COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 102 Columbine Building 1845 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 March, 1976 DOLORES PROJECT The Dolores project is located in Dolores and Montezuma counties in southwestern Colorado. Most of the project area lies outside of the present Dolores River basin. Geologists believe that the Dolores River once flowed across the Montezuma Valley towards the southwest, but was subsequently blocked and turned to the northwest by slowly rising mountains. The project was authorized by the Congress in 1968 as a partici- pating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The Dolores Water Conservancy District was organized in 1961 as the sponsoring and con- tractual agency for the project. The district includes portions of Dolores and Montezuma counties. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe is also a project sponsor. Plan of Development The Dolores project would develop and manage water from the Dolores River for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancement. It would also provide flood control, improve summer and fall river flows downstream, and aid in the economic re- development of the area. Supplemental irrigation supplies would be delivered to the Montezuma Valley area located in the central portion of the project area. Full irrigation water supplies would be provided to the Dove Creek area in the northwest and the Towaoc area in the south. Municipal and industrial water would be furnished to Cortez, Dove Creek, and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe at Towaoc. Primary regulation of the Dolores River would be provided at the 381,100 acre-foot McPhee Reservoir which would be formed on the river at the eastern edge of the project area by McPhee Dam and Great Cut Dike. Municipal and industrial storage for the town of Dove Creek would be provided at the 690 acre-foot Monument Creek Reservoir located at an offstream site in the Dove Creek area. On the recommendation of the Fish and Wildlife Service, several measures are planned for wildlife management. A reservoir is to be constructed at Dawson Draw in the Montezuma Valley area for the enhance- ment of waterfowl. This reservoir would also provide opportunities for fishing, boating and picnicking. Project funds would be provided for acquisition and improvement of land north and east on the Dolores River for winter range to mitigate big game habitat losses caused by the project. Project water would be distributed by a canal and lateral system