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Chapter 1 - Introduction Description of the Existing Project 1. General. The Silt Project is located in the west-central section of Colorado_ near the towns of Rifle and Silt. The project stores the flows of Rifle Creek and pumps water from the Colorado River to increase irrigation on about 6,600 (original estimate) acres of land. Principal features of the project include Rifle Gap Dam and Reservoir, the Silt Pumping Plant and canal, Davie Ditch, and a lateral system. Pre-existing canals and laterals were used and rehabilitated where necessary. Recreation facilities constructed at Rifle Gap Reservoir are managed as the Rifle Gap State Park. The construction contract for Rifle Gap Dam was awarded in August 1964, and the project was completed in 1967 at a total cost of pprox;mately $7.5 million. Responsibilities for repayment of the construction expenditure have been allocated as follows: $ 960,000 by Silt Water Conservancy District 5,742,000 by CRSP power users 33,500 by others 774,900 non-reimbursable (for recreation, F&W, highway cons:.; The Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD), under contract with the United States, holds the right to all project water, subject to the U.S. rights for recreation and fish & wildlife consistent with the authorized plan. Operation and maintenance of the project is the responsibility of the SWCD as is the repayment of $960,000. This amount is being repaid over 50 years, without interest, at a rate of $19,200 per year. Through fiscal year 1994, 56% of that debt had been repaid. The project benefits from the purchase of low cost Federal power from the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) to operate the Silt Pumping Plant on the Colorado River. The SWCD also operates the private Farmers Irrigation Company (FIC) facilities as part of the Silt Project. Colorado State Parks manages the recreation facilities at Rifle Gap under a contract with Reclamation. 2. Project History Most early settlers in the vicinity were miners and prospectors who turned to irrigated agriculture after being unsuccessful in mining attempts. In 1920, 40 families were brought from New York by the Midland Railroad Company to operate coal mines in the Silt area. When the railroad failed a short time later, the families remained and turned to farming. t 4