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Conejos Water Conservancy District, it was agreed that 1) the Rio Grande and Conejos would <br />split equally the 10,000 acre-foot paper credit allowed by the Compact; and 2) the allowable <br />Compact debit would be allocated 60,000 acre-feet to the Rio Grande and 40,000 acre-feet to the <br />Conejos River. For this reason, the State of Colorado accounts separately for Compact deliveries <br />and debit/credit status of the Rio Grande and Conejos River. <br />Index Gages <br />There are four Index gages in Colorado associated with the Compact: the Rio Grande near Del <br />Norte (LD. No. 8229999), the Conejos River near Mogote (LD. No. 8246500), the San Antonio <br />River near Ortiz (LD. No. SANORTCO), and the Los Pinos River near Ortiz (LD. No. <br />LOSORTCO). These gages are specifically described in the Compact for use in determining <br />state-line delivery requirements. The Index gage for the Rio Grande is Rio Grande near Del <br />Norte. The Index gages for the Conejos, Rio San Antonio and Rio Los Pinos are summed to <br />determine the total Index Supply for the Conejos basin. Note that flows from the Rio San <br />Antonio and Rio Los Pinos are not included in winter months (November through March). <br />Provisions of the Compact allow for adjustments to state-line delivery schedules should these <br />Index gages ever be relocated. <br />Closed Basin Project Water <br />In 1993 the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation completed the Closed Basin portion of the San Luis <br />Valley Project. This project was developed for several purposes that include assisting Colorado <br />in meeting it's water delivery commitment set forth under the Rio Grande Compact. The Closed <br />Basin Project pumps groundwater from the unconfined aquifer within the Closed Basin and <br />delivers this water to the Rio Grande at a point near Alamosa. Additional information concerning <br />the purpose and operation of the Closed Basin Project can be found in the memorandum <br />documenting discussions with the Bureau of Reclamation. <br />Deliveries from the Closed Basin Project for Compact purposes are measured at the Closed Basin <br />Project Canal gage (ID No. CBPALACO) near the end of it's conveyance channel prior to <br />entering the Rio Grande. Although the annual yield of the project was originally envisioned at <br />approximately 100,000 acre-feet at full build-out, historically the project has yielded less than <br />40,000 acre-feet per year. By a Resolution Regarding the Allocation of the Yield of the Closed <br />Basin Project, the Project may not deliver more than 600,000 acre-feet for any period often <br />consecutive years for Compact purposes. Additionally, this Resolution divided the yield of the <br />project that reaches the Rio Grande for Compact purposes on a 60/40 basis, with the Rio Grande <br />being entitled to 60 percent of the water that reaches the Rio Grande from the project and the <br />Conejos being entitled to 40 percent. The Resolution allows the 60/40 division to be a running <br />average determined on any period of 15 consecutive years. The allocation can be altered by the <br />allocation committee during a given year. <br />Water deliveries to the Rio Grande from the Closed Basin Project were first used to help meet <br />Compact obligations in 1989. Although deliveries since that time have been less than originally <br />anticipated, they have been very helpful to Colorado in meeting state-line commitments. <br />Norton Drain Water <br />The Norton Drain was constructed in the early 1970s in an area between the Conejos River and <br />La Jara Creek for the purpose of conveying water to the Rio Grande. The Drain captures water <br />from an area between La Jara Creek and the Conejos River east of the Town of Sanford and <br />C:\cdss\Div3_Mem2.doc Division 3 Interview June 28, 1999 -Page 4 of 8 <br />