Rio Grande - Platoro Reservoir Restoration_Application & Scope of Work

Home Browse Search

Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 Working frith the District, the division of Water Resources has actively used Platoro as part of Colorado 's compact operations to maximize the diversion of irater° in Colorado and to minimize over or underdeliverv to the doirnstreanr states under the Rio Grande Compact. Colorado maintains a small Compact account in Platoro that can be used as needed for Compact operations. The Division of Wildlife maintains a conservation pool of Transmountain mater in Platoro as a buffer for aquatic species in dry years. The Colorado Water Conservation Board has used Platoro reser mir several times to exchange or save Division of Wildlife tirater ii,hen Trujillo Meadoirs Reservoir has been lotircred to effect needed repairs. These are some examples of the lame measuure of cooperation and collaboration among the many irater° users tij,ho are stakeholders in this Project. The District's steirardship of Platoro Reservoir is vital to all tirater users in the District, ensuring reliable foirs for flood control, agricultural uses, recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement. This proposal expands on the scope of each of these uses belotij, and addresses Platoro's role in meeting Colorado's obligations to the Rio Grande Compact. b. The number and types of entities represented in the application and the degree to which the activity will promote cooperation and collaboration among traditional consumptive water interests and/or non-consumptive interests, and if applicable, the degree to which the water activity is effective in addressing intrabasin or interbasin needs or issues. The District's traditional consumptive and nonconsumptive crater interests served by Platoro Reservoir operations extend over 100, 000 acres, frith 86, 000 acres capable of being irrigated. Boundaries of the District are shoirn on the Service Area Map in Attachment D. An additional 8, 000 acres that are not irithin the boundaries of the District are also irrigated by the Conejos and its tributaries. Storage and releases are jointly controlled between LISBR, CWCD, CDWR, and the USACE to assure that Platoro Reservoir is operated in accordance tirith the Flood Control Storage Reservation Diagram criteria. This application therefore represents not only these different entities but also the interests of tirater users throughout the District, as shoirn in Attachment D. The scope of irork in this project represents the assessment of USBR's Engineering Revieij, of Operations and Maintenance team, irhich identified the tasks in this project cis necessary. Entities represented in this application include USBR, CWCD, the Colorado Division of Water Resources, and, to a more limited extent the USAGE. Proper functioning ofPlatoro mill avoid interference frith irrigation operations, mill help ensure minimum and reguularfoirs in riparian areas, frill protect and help to expand fisheries, frill protect valuable recreational and ildlife assets from food and frown drought, and frill play a nigjor° role in ensuring that Colorado continues to meet its Rio Grande Compact delivery obligations. 7