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. . . . . '. I I . . . . . I II I I I I I INVESTIGATION OF EXISTING PROJECTS Pine River Project Vallecito Reservoir furnishes supplemental water to approximately 15,000 acres of Southern Ute Indian lands and approximately 41,000 acres of private lands outside the reservation. Irrigation water is distributed through privately owned systems or through systems under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Vater delivery facilities consist of five diversion dams, 196 miles of canals, 148 miles of laterals and 19 miles of drains. Much of the system was constructed prior to 1900. Both the towns of Bayfield and Ignacio get their M&I water supplies from the Pine River and there is substantial subdividing and develop~ent occurring throughout the valley. The valley is designated a "water critical area" requiring many of the existing domestic users and all new development to have plans for augmentation. In the southern portion of the area, groundwater supplies for domestic use are often short and the quality is often poor. Alternatives are currently being developed to provide more efficient water delivery to the area. The alternatives will range from combining canals of the existing system and re-routing the delivery of water to a new system to provide gravity sprinkler pressure to the lands south of Bayfield. The potential for power production resulting from modification to the existing system will be investigated. Also, an Indian only alternative will be investigated. Reconnaissance level cost estimates will be prepared for each alternative and the amount of water saved from each option will be calculated. Mancos Project Jackson Gulch Reservoir provides supplemental irrigation water to approximately 13,700 acres of land in the Mancos Valley and domestic water to the Town of Mancos, Mancos Rural Vater Company, and Mesa Verde National Park. Delivery facilities consist of approximately 97 miles of canals, 40 miles of laterals and 2 miles of drains, much of which was constructed prior to 1900. Present water supplies and irrigation practices exclude the irrigation of approximately 3,000 acres of additional classified land in the valley. Alternatives will be developed to replace the existing delivery system with a pipe system to provide gravity pressure for sprinkler irrigation. The improved efficiency would allow for the irrigation of the additional 3,000 acres of classified land and would reduce the salt loading in the valley. A reconnaissance level cost estimate will be prepared for this alternative and salinity benefits will be calculated based on a salinity study conducted by the Soil Conservation Service.