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<br />,'itS~;i <br /> <br />constructed as part of the project. The Dove Creek Canal would be the <br />major project canal. It would receive water pumped from McPhee Res- <br />ervoir at Great Cut Dike by the Great Cut Pumping Plant and extend <br />about 39 miles northwest to Monument Creek Reservoir. Other project <br />conveyance facilities would include the South Canal, a branch of the <br />Dove Creek Canal; the Dolores Tunnel, extending from McPhee Reservoir <br />to the existing system of the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company; and <br />the Towaoc Canal extending through the Montezuma Valley to the Towaoc <br />area. All main canals would be open and earthlined. <br /> <br />Sprinkler irrigation systems are planned for all of the full service <br />lands. Lands in the established Montezuma Valley area would continue <br />to be served by existing gravity systems. The sprinkler system for the <br />Dove creek area would include six pumping plants to provide pressure at <br />farm turnouts. In the Towaoc area, pressure would be developed in the <br />pipe lateral system from the ground slope. The lateral systems would <br />be asbestos cement and concrete pressure pipes and would be buried to <br />aid in preservation of the scenery. Project drainage will be provided <br />for the Dove Creek and Towaoc areas. <br /> <br />Irrigation scheduling would be implemented on all full service land <br />to assure the application of the proper amount of water for a given <br />crop at the proper time. The ideal quantities and timing of the irri- <br />gation applications would be predicted from analyses of temperature, <br />precipitation, solar radiation, and local soil moisture and crop <br />characteristics. <br /> <br />Municipal and industrial water would be available from project <br />features to treatment facilities to be constructed by the water users. <br />The water users would provide facilities for distribution of the water. <br />The project reservoirs, McPhee, Monument Creek and Dawson Draw, would <br />provide new lake fisheries, waterfowl habitat and significant water- <br />oriented recreational opportunities. Basic recreational facilities <br />would be provided at each of the reservoirs. Fishing and recreational <br />opportunities would be improved at the Narraguinnep, Totten and Ground <br />Hog Reservoirs which now provide irrigation storage for the Montezuma <br />Valley Irrigation Company. The water surfaces of these reservoirs <br />would be partially stabilized as the functions of the reservoirs for <br />irrigation water storage would be largely shifted to McPhee Reservoir. <br /> <br />About 10 miles of a relatively poor stream fishery on the Dolores <br />River would be flooded by McPhee Reservoir. The stream fishery in the <br />river below the reservoir, however, would be greatly enhanced as a <br />result of project operations. The fishery would benefit from reservoir <br />releases made specifically for fish, from controlled spring reservoir <br />releases made in anticipation of spills, and from releases for down- <br />stream rights. As a result of the spring releases made in anticipation <br />of spills, white water boating would be maintained and in some aspects <br />improved. Good boating days could be grouped together and accurately <br />predicted, whereas the boating opportunities now are dependent on <br />nature and are unpredictable. <br /> <br />The Dolores project definite plan report is scheduled for completion <br />in April, 1976. <br />-2- <br />