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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form <br />Form Revised May 2007 <br />miles north the settlement of Los Sauces. At the point that the river crosses state highway 285, 1-'/4 miles north <br />of Antonito, there is a bifurcation, with a concrete diversion structure (locally known as "the Core') and a <br />headgate system (Diversion Gates). The Core is ahnost 100 years old, and is in need of reconstruction. It was <br />designed to split and balance the flow of the river into the main channel and the North Branch of the Conejos. <br />Proper operation of the Core is therefore instrumental to both channels of the river. The Diversion Gates consist <br />of five eight-foot wheel-and-stem headgates kvhich are manually operated and accessed by a perilous 18 inch <br />plank catwalk over the river. This structure is also unsafe and ni need of replacement. Both the Core and the <br />Diversion Gates require weekly and sometimes dailv maintenance due to floating debris, log jams, high sediment <br />load, bank erosion, and streambanlc instability. The effects of this problem include operational difficulty in <br />meeting irrigation needs, poor water quality due to bank instability and resulting high sediment load, <br />negative impacts on the condition of fisheries downstream of the diversion, lack of control and frequent <br />documented losses of Compact waters during high flows, and the very- real threat of flooding for <br />communities north of the Conejos. If wvater were to breach the north bank of the main chamlel of the <br />Conejos, the river channel would change course, bNpassing the gaging station at Los Sauces, seriously <br />impacting all water users downstream on both channels, and flooding the agricultural communities of Conejos <br />County and the town of Manassa. There are 42 ditch companies on the main and north channels of the Conejos. <br />Twelve of these ditch companies rely upon the North Branch diversion to irrigate a total of 22,204 acres, with <br />excess flows returning to the main channel east of Manassa where thev contribute to fulfilling Colorado's Rio <br />Grande Compact obligation. In this proposal MLI requests funds to address and remedy the issues <br />associated with the North Branch diversion of the Conejos River, re-shaping the channel, stabilizing the <br />streambank, replacing the Core and the Diversion Gates, and enhancing riparian areas at this bifurcation <br />point. This Project will restore full operational capacity to both bifurcation structures, meet multiple <br />consumptive and nonconsumptive needs in both the main channel and the North Branch, and improve the <br />Conejos' ability to fulfill its Compact obligation to downstream states. <br />Problem: The problems mentioned above continue year after year, due to lack of funding. Deposit <br />of sediment, log jams, and sloughing of the banks create a threat of losing the north bank and, if <br />that Nvere to occur, of causing flooding for land owners north of the Cone jos River and in the town <br />of Manassa. This Project addresses a serious safety issue associated with the operation of the <br />North Branch diversion structures. If these issues are not addressed as soon as possible, there will <br />be fiu-ther erosion, heavier sediment loading, and increased bank movement of the Conejos River. <br />In the 1994 study, CWCD identified the main problems of erosion, decreased flows in the <br />diversion channel during low flow regimes, and high maintenance associated with removing <br />sediment, gravel deposition, and log jams clogging the headw-orks during high flows. To these <br />earlier documented findings, MLI adds the need to address the negative effects which these <br />structural failures have had on the ability of the river to meet the non-consumptive needs of <br />riparian areas, fisheries, wildlife habitat, and endangered species. Once fiinding is secured, these <br />problems will be addressed in such a Nvay as to satisfy the expectations as described under "Scope <br />of Work". <br />Tvl2e of Activitv: This is a structural water project and activity. <br />Multiple Objectives/Purposes: <br />• Sustainably meet agricultural demands - Protect the integrity of MLI's cornrnitment to its <br />shareholders and water users: improve its ability to supply water to 24,850 acres of irrigated land: <br />16