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<br />Pine Rivu Project
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<br />e COLORADO, La Plata and Archuleta Counties
<br />REGION 4, Bureau 01 Reclamation
<br />PROJECT HEADOUARTERS, Bayfield, Calo.
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<br />TIH.' projf'(,[ con!;jsls of 'YIlIll;'('ito Dam Ilnd HeSt'noir.
<br />constructe,l to fllWish supplemental water to about
<br />;jfl.~OO llcn':; of projt"<'t and lTHlillll hH\lb.
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<br />PlAN
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<br />TIU' l'illf' Rin-r projl'I't "(01"1'5 Sprill/! tlondwl\lers 10
<br />provide II snpplelllf'lltnl wlIter supply to 9.70:1:1('1'(""; of
<br />Inuillll lands !lllel to -l-l.l-ll U(,N',.; of land OIl1side the
<br />Indiall I"t'i'('n'ulio!l. "'alt-r is IfI:'il1,g' fllrllislu.d 10 more
<br />thun -H,O!l\J lieN'S of till' ;lo5H lICI"1'S of pl"Ojocl lands.
<br />Il-ri~'lltion wlIter is dislrihul('l! thrnll,C'h pri,'nlp!;r
<br />owned S~'stf'IlIS or throng!l sys(l'IllS under jurisdicliOlI
<br />of the Indinll :-'en"j('e.
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<br />Vallecito Dam
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<br />Storugl' for IIH' proj{'(.t j.. impOlllldl"d hy till' Hi:!-fool.
<br />high l':\l'thtil1 !'t nwt illV'. C'ollt:dlling :t7:lS.000 cubic
<br />nlrd,;, The dam is 011 dlP Pint' nin~r. 1~ mill;'''; nOl'th-
<br />~llst of 1 )urnngo. Colo, Tht> l'('!"('rnlir ha,; :\U IH.'ti\'e
<br />capncity of l:!G.aon :u'I'.'-ft''''t, TIlt' !'pill\\"ay j;; II glltp,
<br />('olltro]!""I. COll('lV'tt.-linNl. OIIl'I1 \'hllnnel, :!.;\nl) fel't 101lf!
<br />at thl"' rif!ht nhutmellt. T]lt' outlet works is II twin
<br />S(>(,tion COlH'retf' conduit through I]W right uhntm('nt
<br />of the dam,
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<br />DEVelOPMENT
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<br />Early History
<br />Tht' sl'lIlt>IlWllt of tilt' :'l1n .11Il1ll Hn,.in in Colorado
<br />was incidelltnl to Ihe diSC'o\'eQ' of gold and the rupid
<br />HpllllSioll of millinf! in lIlt' San Juan :\lountnins.
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<br />Volll!cito Oem.
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<br />0289
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<br />This It'rritorv wn,; in 11It' re~rnuion of Ihe l71e In-
<br />dillllS. llnd I)('~istent innlsions b~' the mill(,rs led 10~)
<br />much friction that Opl'll w:lrfntV' ('xist.'d thronghollt
<br />the rt'gion excepl for the 1111'11 around Parrott Cit~'.
<br />wh(,I'e ClIplain :\10"''' !H',!..mtinu'd a prinltl' Irt'aty inlS7;\.
<br />TempurlIl"\" pt'a,'(' \\.:\s I'stnblished ill 1~7-1- when the
<br />t 'nilfc',l ~1;\tPS bUlIl!ht ;l milliull l\cre,,; from tilt' Indian,..
<br />Tlw territory pllrC~hllSt.'d ilwhuh'd 11ll' In:tin hody of thl'
<br />monlltllins. Illlt! 1111 of I]le pr'l,;pl.'f'li\"e minl'ral land.
<br />The ~)]llh hOUl1cll1l"\' of this traet. called the 1."te Ceded
<br />LlllUls. runs 1\(,I'O~S' Ihe project ju~t Iwlnw Hayfield.
<br />Fllrmin,l:! wu,.; pr:H.tieed on II slIlIlll :wale :dong the
<br />:\lall('os. I.n Pinta. and .\niulHs Hi\"t'l'S lx-fol't' the ('eelI'd
<br />]1I1111,.; \\"('1"1' Jlllrl'hll!"(.,l from the Indians. .\fler 11]('
<br />pllr('hn".' Illld tin' ("~"ation of open wnrfari:'. these dt'-
<br />\'elopments soon ,grew to their pl"esent size,
<br />Seltlf'ment along' the Pilll"' llnd Florida Hi\"ers wa,.;
<br />11m liS l'lIpid. 1)('('aIlSI' Iln'l"(' wa,.; linlp dt',.;il"llhl... h\lHl
<br />outside the l"e:'{'rnltillll. It \\"lIS 1I0t until the 1"(>:<(>1'\'11'
<br />lion \\'ll" opelled fell' !JolIll',.;teadilll!' 011 :\Iny -1-. 1899, Ihat
<br />~('lI]eIIWJlt l"e:lll~' 111'$111. .\1 this ollPllin,g. the IYte In-
<br />diall" 1l('('pI'Il",1 :\7.') lI11otllH'llts of hlllel. with II tOlalal'('a
<br />of GO.lInn lll'IV';. 1\1111 tlu> ]"(,Illl\inillg' n:w.ooo ll('t'{'S W('I'('
<br />"'oon culll,,1 o\"er In' the whitp f:\I'mt'l"s lItHl the hetll'r
<br />lands :o:ell!",{!. .
<br />In W:l~. tht're 1"('lllll.inpd some 200.000 lICl"~ of this
<br />pllhli(' dOlllain (mnsll~' g'l"llzing 1l\T1t1J not tllken up hy
<br />,;ettlers. I~y 1'001g'lv"...inlllll lll'IiOIl Ihis land wns I,(,~
<br />lllrnl'd 10 :-,nlll]u'm l'tt, Indillll trilHll ownt'rship.
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<br />Inveltigationl
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<br />Till' 1J(',ginninl! of irril!lllion from Pille Ri\'er dalt's
<br />hl\ek to 1IIJoHt 1577, wht'n ,;mall irriW\lioll ditl:hes were
<br />first I"Ollstl'u('tf>d lIy while- III.'ople lIIollA' the Pine Riwl"
<br />for lilt' Indil\IlIlg'{'IlCit's nlld for It f(Ow small farm Iracts.
<br />"Tater filin/,!S ('()wril1~ pSlimlltetl Wilier N"fluirements
<br />for appl"OXilllllll'ly 1...00n lI('N"" IlPlotl1!in!! 10 the In-
<br />dians Wt'l"(' mad", wilh II\(' ~Il\tp EngilH>{>r ill lSfl.'\,
<br />These cbim:" were ('(lIlI~1t'(1 by the while I"'--'Ople. many
<br />of whom lunlullId(' carlier filing"". lllld an f1djudit'alion
<br />suit WB!' fil(Od in toOl, On Octol){'r :?5. l~:lO. the Fed.
<br />('rut ("OU11 gnllltM 1\ priOl'ily to the hlllinns, liS. of .Jul~'
<br />25, I "fi". of ~12 cubic f('('-t per se('ond of Wilier from
<br />Iht' Pinp Hh'l'r llnd 1 cubi(' foot !){'r ~rond from Dry
<br />Crt'ek. for irri.l!alin~ tr..!H>r. :1('1'('."" Thi;; primaJ"~- right
<br />of thl' lndians 10 the \\"lIlers of Ihe Pine Riwl" (Los
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