Silt Pumping Plant Rehabilitation Preliminary Design

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Preliminary Design Memorandum Silt Pumping Plant Rehabilitation SITE INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS AND FACILITIES The Silt Project is one of the initial participating projects authorized with the Colorado River Storage Project(CRSP)by the act of April 11, 1956 (70 Stat. 105). Project construction began in August 1964 and was completed in 1967. Operation and maintenance of the Project works was turned over to the District January 1, 1968. The Silt Water Conservancy District(District)was organized for the purpose of conserving and developing land and water resources for the greatest beneficial use of water within the District boundaries. The District was organized by decree of the District Court in and for Garfield County, Colorado, on June 3, 1957. The District has broad statutory powers concerning the conservation and utilization of water resources within its boundaries. The District has contracted with the United States for the Silt Project, a Federal Reclamation project, for the construction and operation of Rifle Gap Dam, Grass Valley Canal,the Silt Pump Canal, Silt Pumping Plant and facilities. The District has also contracted along with the United States,with the Farmer's Irrigation Company (FICo)to coordinate the operation and distribution of water of the Silt Project and the company system. The Silt Project water supply will be commingled with company water and conveyed through the combined system under a joint operation. The operator pursuant to the aforementioned contracts will be the United States or the District. Silt Pumping Plant The Silt Pumping Plant,with a theoretical capacity of 36 cubic feet per second, is located near the Colorado River, about 1 mile east of the Town of Silt. The pumping plant was placed in service for the 1967 irrigation season. The pumping plant was designed to provide irrigation water(both supplemental and full service)to the lower reaches of Silt Mesa. Water was previously diverted from the Colorado River using a"rock and brush" diversion structure located approximately 1 mile east of the plant. The rock and brush diversion was replaced by a low-head concrete diversion in the year 2000 at the cost of$162,000, of which Reclamation contributed $35,000 through the WCFSP. This structure was installed through a combined effort of Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS)technical assistance, Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado Water Conservation Board and others. From this point,water is conveyed approximately 4,000 feet through pipe and canal to the Silt Pumping Plant forebay where an overflow from the forebay returns to the river. The plant is an indoor type constructed of reinforced concrete with inlet,wet sump, service area, and steel frame 7 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY