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<br />SM concept plan"doc <br />8/16/04 <br />Page 9 of 10 <br /> <br />.... <br />j.;. <br />r <br /> <br />Construct Straw Dam or Enlarge Lone Cone Reservoir <br />Straw Dam is a recently identified facility. Its purpose is to more efficiently and <br />completely put to beneficial Use the water rights owned by the Farmers <br />Development Co. It will take a detailed hydrology analysis to determine if ample <br />water is available for construction of both facilities. Assuming there is NOT <br />enough water for both7 enlargement of Lone Cone Reservo(r is potentially more <br />cost effective~ Some formidable institutional hurdles must be negotiated, if <br />enlargement is the chosen course of action. <br /> <br />Flow Impacts to the Present Status of the San Miguel River <br />The positive impacts that are inherent with an adequate, dependable water supply <br />are well documented throughout "the west". A non-traditional positive impact <br />will be the release of 4,-000 AF from storage for late season in-stream flow into <br />the main stem of the San Miguel via Saltado / Beaver Creek. The 4,000 AF <br />. ) release will increase the floW at the Nuda gage by 23% during August and <br />September. However, since the ?? ditch diverts all of the available water there is <br />- generally no flow below that diversion during August and September. The 4,000 <br />AF would increase that flow by either 20 or 40 cfs (less transportation loss) <br />depending on the pattern of the release. <br />It appears this project will avoid many of the obvious negative impacts~ because it <br />is an offstream reservoir. However, two negative impacts have been questioned. <br />First, the amount of virgin flow diverted to storage during the run-off/boating <br />season will reduce the volume of flow in the main stem of the San Miguel River by <br />9% on an annual basis and 120/0 during the ron-off season. <br />Second~ Fall Creek has been identified as habitat for native Cutthroat Trout. <br />While some of the diversion will come from Pall Creek, it is physically not <br />feasible to diven from the all of the Creek's tributaries. Therefore7 it is assumed <br />here is enough virginflow left in the Greek to satisfy the Cutthroat Trout habitat. <br />