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Long Hollow Reservoir <br />Feasibiliry Study <br />split river. Split river conditions occurred in 13 of the 14-year LHR study period from WY 1989 <br />through WY 2002. Flows in the lower river were sufficient during some periods but too low <br />during other periods to deliver to New Mexico one-half of the La Plata River flow at Hesperus <br />During periods of minimal stream flow, when the measured stream flow at the Hesperus gauging <br />station is insufficient (approximately 25 cfs or less) to cause one-half of the flow to reach the <br />state line (a "futile call"), ditches in Colorado that are upstream of the dry reach of the river may <br />divert water in priority for beneficial irrigation use. Curtailment of these ditches during a futile <br />call will prevent crop irrigation while attempting to deliver water through an extended dry <br />streambed. This action would contradict a primary Compact purpose: to m~imize the <br />beneficial use of water in an equitable manner. LHR would provide water, stored in priority, to <br />seek to improve Compact deliveries to New Mexico through an efficient delivery system that <br />would circumvent the dry reach of the La Plata River. LHR would improve not only Compact <br />administration but also Colorado water rights administration, while providing additional water to <br />existing partially irrigated land in Colorado. <br />2.3 Study Objective <br />This study was conducted to investigate the technical, financial, and institutional aspects of a <br />limited number of alternative dam and reservoir configurations to create storage for about 5,400 <br />AF of water at LHR. <br />This study was conducted for the LPWCD. The LPWCD was formed in 1944 by the irrigators in <br />the La Plata River Basin. The LPWCD boundary generally includes lands south of State <br />Highway 160 located within the watershed of the La Plata River and its major tributaries. <br />Exhibit 2.3-1 shows the boundary of LPWCD. <br />Areas within the Cherry Creek, Long Hbllow, and Hay Gulch watersheds are within the LPWCD, <br />while the Alkali Gulch watershed, which does not contain any irrigated land, is excluded from <br />the LPWCD. <br />991-077.120 Wright Water Engineers, Inc. Page 9 <br />April 2005 <br />