Laserfiche WebLink
<br />f-. <br />-- <br />-- , <br />, <br />I, <br /> <br />BENEFITS <br /> <br />IRRIGATION <br /> <br />c- <br /> <br />Water developed by the project will be available for 61,854 acres and will <br />benefit the area's economy by increasing agricultural production and <br />strengthening service-related enterprises dependent on agriculture. Main <br />crops will be alfalfa, pinto beans, wheat, pasture, barley, oats, and corn <br />silage for livestock feed. <br /> <br />MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WATER <br /> <br />The municipal and industrial water supply of 8,700 acre-feet permit a moderate <br />but healthy future growth in the area. <br /> <br />-RECREATION AND FISH AND WILDLIFE <br /> <br />Water releases from McPhee Reservoir have created a stream fishery below the <br />dam. In addition, releases from the reservoir in anticipation of spring <br />runoff will be managed to benefit white-water boaters. The project reservoirs <br />and facilities will provide new recreation opportunities for the public. Land <br />acquired and managed for wildlife conservation will create valuable and <br />unthreatened habitat for a variety of wildlife species. <br /> <br />FLOOD CONTROL <br /> <br />McPhee Dam will provide flood protection for downstream landowners. <br /> <br />POWER GENERATION <br /> <br />The average annual energy production of the McPhee Dam and Towaoc Canal <br />Powerplants will be in excess of that needed by the project. Rather than <br />draining the nation's energy resources, the Dolores Project will generate <br />environmentally clean power which will help to alleviate the problems caused <br />by dwindling fossil fuel supplies. <br /> <br />CULTURAL RESOURCES <br /> <br />The Four Corners Region, which includes southwestern Colorado, is rich in the <br />Indian ruins and sites of the Anasazi ("Old Ones"). The sites vary in extent <br />from surface indications, including rock chips, pottery, and pithouses, to the <br />remains of pueblos and other structures such as kivas. The sites represent <br />occupation of the area from 2000 B.C. until historic times. There are 125 <br />sites of historic period from about A.D. 1870 to 1950, including the towns of <br />Big Bend and McPhee. These sites all have been determined eligible for <br />nOlliination to the National Register of Historic Places as the Anasazi <br />Archaeological District. The archaeological remains recovered from the <br />excavations are displayed at the Anasazi Heritage Center located at the <br />Escalante Ruins three miles west of the town of Dolores. <br /> <br />5 <br />