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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant and Loan Program <br />Water Activity Summary Sheet <br />Applicant: Santa Maria Reservoir Company <br />Water Activity Name: Santa Maria & Continental Reservoirs - Rehabilitation & Multi-use Study <br />Amount Requested: $191,700 <br />Source of Funds: $50,000 (Rio Grande Basin Account) and $141,700 (Statewide Account) <br />Matching Funds: $18,300 (9% of total) <br />Water Activity Purpose: Study <br />County: Rio Grande, Saguache, Conejos, Alamosa <br />Drainage Basin: Rio Grande <br />Water Source: North Clear Creels <br />Staff Recommendation <br />Staff recommends approval of up to $50,000 from the Rio Grande Basin Account and $141,700 from the <br />Statewide Account to help study the Santa Maria & Continental Reservoirs - Rehabilitation & Multi-use <br />Study contingent on resolution of the item in the issues/additional needs section. <br />Water Activity Summary: <br />The Colorado State Engineer has placed a restriction of 15,000 acre-feet on Continental's storage capacity due <br />to safety considerations. The spillway is significantly deteriorated and there is safety concern about dam <br />seepage. Continuing deterioration of the dam is causing serious concerns about flood protection and irrigation <br />water storage. The Reservoir was constructed in 1910 and is operated in conjunction with the Santa Maria <br />Reservoir (SMR). SMR receives regulated discharges from Continental Reservoir through North Clear Creels, <br />via a century-old conveyance system of a pipeline and open ditch. The two reservoirs are about 8.5 miles apart. <br />SMR stores irrigation water and also stores Rio Grande Compact water, San Luis Valley Water Conservancy <br />District water, CDOW water, trans-mountain water and provides flood control benefits. When water is available <br />to store in Santa Maria, the deteriorated conveyance system limits the amount of water which reaches SMR from <br />Continental. Although Santa Maria has a designed capacity of 43,000AF, maximum storage in recent years has <br />been 15,000AF. <br />The Project to be fi ided by this proposal is to conduct engineering, hydrological and hydraulic studies of all <br />structures in the System. These studies will identify the best approach to remove dam storage restrictions and <br />increase efficiencies in the reservoir system. This will allow Continental to hold and control additional Rio <br />Grande Compact water; improve SMR's ability to hold and more effectively manage irrigation water; increase <br />the System's value in flood control and its ability to respond in times of drought; increase SMR's options and <br />ability to serve third parties; and greatly improve and enlarge fisheries, riparian areas, and wildlife habitat. <br />If improvements to the system are made, Santa Maria Reservoir can provide improved options for efficient <br />water management through exchanges between Santa Maria and the Rio Grande Reservoir, increase storage <br />for Rio Grande Compact water, and preventing loss of agricultural water. Riparian areas and fisheries <br />downstream from Santa Maria will greatly benefit from this investment due to the collaboration between