Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Quartcrly Ncw~lt.t1cr April2002 Volulllc 7. hsuc 1 <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br /> <br />Vallecito Dal1l <br /> <br />Tht' Pine Rivl"r Projecr consisrs of Valleci to Dam and Reservoir and was comtructed to furnish suppk-mcnral water to <br />55.000 ;lcres of project and Indian l;lnds. \'V'irh a stor~lge capacity of 129.700 acre-feet, Valk'Cito Sl"rves ahout .i2,000 <br />;lCres of irrigation needs in Ll PIau County Jnd 1 J,OOO acres for lhe Southern Ure Tribe. The resermir is dcpclHlenr on <br />spring tloodwatcrs from rhe southcrn slopes of rhe San Juan !\.lounrains. Primary rrihutaries ;Ire lhe Pine River and <br />Vallecirn Creek. \Xf:uer is delivered hmh through privalt"' irrigarion ditches :md systems administered hy rhe Burl"~llI of <br />Indian Aflairs. The d.llll itsdfis locared on a rl"nninal glacial Illorainl" consisting of clay, sand. gravel and cobhles. <br /> <br />St,tdt'ment of rhe San Juan B.lsin was incidental to rhe discovery of gold and the rapid expansion of mining in the S;tn <br />Juan !\tounrains. This terrilOry was already located on the Ute Rcserv;lrion. Persislcnr encroachment on dll"se lands hy <br />mint'rs led to ourrighr war(Hc unril1874 when the Unitt'...! Srates purcha_sed threl" million acres frum rhc Urcs. This <br />u."rrirury indudcd lhe nuin hody o( the San Ju:m MOlllHains and all o( the prospecri\'e mincral land. Tht"' suurh <br />hound:HY of this tract. called the Urc Cedcd Lands, is just bdow Bayfield and runs across the V:tlleciro project. <br /> <br />Seull'menr and (;uming were sparsc .llong all rivers <br />in the sOlllhwesu:rn (orneru(Color;ldu unrillhe <br />Ute RC!ol('rV;1rion was opened fur humesrcading <br />on May 4, 1899. Al this opening, rhe Utes <br />accepted .175 allOllnenrs of land. with a total area <br />of60.000 acres. f\..1osr of the relllaining acres were <br />soon sculcd hy farmt'rs, In 1 ~38, mme 200.000 <br />acres. mosdy rangdand, were returned ro <br />Sourhern Ute trib,ll owncrship because no one <br />Iud seulcd rhose rem;tining acres. <br /> <br />Continued connicrs over warer hcrween thc Utcs <br />Jnd (ulllers led to a (ederal coun dl"cision on <br />Ocroher 25. 19jO, that granted rhe Indians 212 <br />cubic (ecl pcr!>cxond of waler (rom the Pinc River <br />and one cuhic foot per second from Dry Creek <br />(or lhc irrigation of 16,966 acres. This primary righr of rhl' Indians Il) till" wa(('rs of rhe ()ine Riwr resultcd in water <br />shon;tges f(}fother lands in rhe area since, ill many years, the natural flow of the rivcr during summcr was not ;ldequ;ue <br />to mCCl tht' irrigation needs o( the Utes. <br /> <br />Invesrigation of a Pine River sror;l!;l' (lCililY W;lS pan oeLugcr study conducted hy the Bureau of RccbmJtion during <br />1924 and 1925. Funds (() hq;ill cormruction ofrhc projccr, hut not the disrrihutioll ClCilitics, were made available <br />through thc IIHcriof Dcp;mlllelH Appmpriario!l Act of 19.17. Tht' pfl'sidl'fl[ ;tppfoved constfuction on June:- 17. l?j7. <br />Cnns(fucrion IlValk'cito Dam ht'g;ln on j\'lar 14, 19-'8, and was complctl'd ill 1941. Completion o(the pttljn'r <br />increast'd irrig~Hion cap;1City from 17,000 to 55,000 acres and prevented tlooding of crops, Emnland, and stru.;turt'S <br />along rhc river during spring runoff. In addition, many pl'oplc now enjoy camping, swimming, fishing and other <br />recrearional activitit's ,l( the fl'servoir f:tcilitit's managt'd by lhc US Fort'S( 5ervit.:l' and lh(' Pille River Irrig;ltitlll Di'lriu. <br /> <br />For nunc intlmn;uinn visir our weh~itl" al www.w;llerinfo.orgorlmp:/Jatawcb.w.hr.gov. <br /> <br /> <br />III thi./ !.MlLe of the lPater Letter <br /> <br />Vallt'dlo ();lln..................................................................1 <br />Rio Crande Compact (COIlr From l.a_'t h,uc) .................. .2 <br /> <br />CUl111110nlv Used \X'aler Ti:lm' ..... ................. ........... j <br />Evt'lll~ C.dcnd.u .................................................... ........... 4 <br />