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Chapter 1 - Introduction with a surface area of 359 acres when full. Another primary project feature is the Silt Pumping Plant, which has a capacity of 36 cubic feet per second and is located adjacent to the Colorado River about 2 miles east of the town of Silt. The 7.6-mile-long Silt Pump Canal extends northwest from the pumping plant discharge line, carrying irrigation water to land on the lower portion of Silt Mesa (this was called Harvey Mesa during planning for the project in the 1950's and 60's). 5. Project Operation Water rights for the project are held by SWCD with decreed uses being irrigation, boating, piscatorial (fish), and recreation. The rights carry an appropriation date of November 20, 1951. Some project water is released directly from Rifle Gap Reservoir into Davie Ditch, which had been abandoned but was rehabilitated to supply irrigation water to project lands on Davie Mesa. The majority of reservoir releases are made to meet downstream Rifle Creek diversion rights for nonproject lands. 7 hese releases allow additional diversions from East Rifle Creek upstream from Rifle Gap Reservoir for project use. Delivered through the Grass Valley Canal, this exchange water provides a full irrigation supply for new project lands and a supplementai supply to project lands previously irrigated through Grass Valley Canal diversions and with Harvey Gap Reservoir storage. The Dry Elk Valley lateral carries water from the Grass Valley Canal to both fuli and supplemental service lands in Dry Elk Valley. Under project operation, Harvey Gap Reservoir, which previously filled and emptied each year, now stores and regulates water for a longer irrigation season and added recreational benefits. Water from the Silt Pumping Plant is used as a supplemental supply, or as a replacement supply,'-for project land formerly irrigated with Colorado River water pumped at high cost from the Cactus Valley Ditch. It also is used as an exchange for nonproject water to replace Harvey Gap Reservoir water for project lands above the Silt Pump Canal. Reclamation has set aside 5,000 acre-feet of water from Green Mountain Reservoir for use as a replacement source for out-of-priority diversions by the Silt Pumping Plant. 6. Project Benefits Irrigation benefits are primarily growing the major local crops, including alfalfa, small grains, and hay, which are used for livestock feed. In 1994, 5,915 acres 6