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Executive Summary <br /> ES-1 <br />OVERVIEW <br />This study examined the feasibility of various measures to rehabilitate the Continental <br />Dam for the Santa Maria Reservoir Company (SMRC). The objective of the Continental Dam <br />Rehabilitation Project (Project) is to improve the capability of SMRC to continue providing <br />irrigation water to shareholders. This will be accomplished by rehabilitating and making critical <br />repairs to the Continental Dam, which constitute the main source of water for the conveyance <br />system between the Continental Reservoir and the Santa Maria Reservoir. The goals of the <br />Project are to mitigate current water management inefficiencies, reduce high maintenance, <br />prevent continued deterioration, and to make such improvements to meet Colorado State <br />Engineer’s Office (SEO) dam safety requirements. <br />The Project constitutes the second phase of SMRC’s multi-phase Santa Maria <br />Rehabilitation Initiative (referred to here as the SMRC Rehab Initiative), which is implementing <br />recommendations for the rehabilitation of the Continental Dam to meet SEO requirements. This <br />Project and the first phase (funded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)), Santa <br />Maria Siphon Support System Stabilization and Santa Mara Canal Improvements Project, of the <br />SMRC Rehab Initiative have the ultimate objective of lifting the State-imposed storage <br />limitations at Continental Reservoir and mitigating or eliminating the many problems created by <br />the deterioration of a century-old system that will otherwise soon reach the end of its useful life. <br />The Project will complete the second phase of the SMRC Rehab Initiative, rehabilitating <br />the concrete spillway and controlling embankment seepage for Continental Dam. By <br />implementing the preferred alternative presented in this report, the Project will accomplish <br />multiple consumptive and nonconsumptive purposes, greatly improving SMRC’s ability to (1) <br />meet the agricultural needs of irrigators in 70,000 acres of the San Luis Valley, (2) establishing <br />significant improvements in the efficient management of Colorado’s Rio Grande Compact water, <br />and (3) supplying storage for Sub-districts in the basin to meet their river depletion <br />requirements. <br />This study was prepared in conformance with the CWCB’s requirements for funding. <br />This study examined the feasibility of non-structural and structural alternatives; and <br />demonstrates the technical, financial, environmental, and institutional feasibility of rehabilitating <br />the dam.