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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form <br />Fonn Revised May 2007 <br />Maria fi°onz Continental Reservoir. This project cap ores these losses, thereby producing <br />"neir " ivater ichich becomes available for iultiple rises. <br />n. The water activity involves reoperation, enlargement, or rehabilitation of existing <br />facilities. <br />Although Santa Maria has a designed capacity of 43, 000 acre feet, maxinrunr storage in <br />recent years has been only 15, 000 acre-feet. A rehabilitated Santa Maria wi11 restore the <br />reservoir's designed capacity, providing efficient crater management options through <br />exchanges between Continental Reservoir and the Rio Grande Reservoir, increasing <br />storage for Rio Grande Compact crater, and preventing loss of agricultural crater. <br />Riparian areas and fisheries downstream fi°om Santa Maria frill greatly benefitfrom the <br />reoperation, enlargement, and rehabilitation ofcontinental and Santa Maria. This <br />project not only completes and updates previous studies aimed at the long overdue rehab <br />of Continental and Santa Maria, it turns ii hat has previously been a "problem <br />orientation into a "systems "orientation which Weirs existing facilities as resources <br />irithin a much larger dynamic irhole. By irorking frith CDOW and considering all <br />current and potential tirater users related to this project, SMR has expanded and is <br />enlarging the overall inventory of rnnlti-use opportunities. SMR feels this project sets a <br />high standard for hoc-j, Colorado meets the challenges of tomorroir. <br />The Water Activity Addresses Issues of Statewide Value <br />o. The water activity helps sustain agriculture, and open space, or meets environmental or <br />recreational needs. <br />The source offirater° to Continental Reservoir is Clear Creek with focus regulated to <br />Santa Maria and from there to downstream ii,etland areas and the Rio Grande. <br />Continental Reservoir has been used primarily to store irrigation crater for agricultural <br />producers in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. The stateiride value of this system 's <br />irrigation services can be measured by the fact that this Valley produces 92% of <br />Colorado's potatoes, 80°o of its spring irheat, 82% of its barley, and 32% of the State's <br />oats. Irrigation for agriculture not only sustains the Valley's economy but does double <br />duty, supporting important ecosystems for irildlife. Continental Reservoir also stores <br />('DOW crater, Rio Grande Compact water, and San Luis Valley Water Conservancy <br />District crater, in addition to providing storage for other- entities as needed. Continental's <br />multiple uses include food control, spectacular high altitude recreational fishing and <br />boating, and irildlife habitat. Please refer to letters of support in Attachment F to gain an <br />appreciation for this Project's importance to agriculture, environmental interests, and <br />recreation. <br />p. The water activity assists in the administration of compact-entitled waters or addresses <br />problems related to compact entitled waters and compact compliance and the degree to <br />which the activity promotes maximum utilization of state waters. <br />13