BOARD00600

• Board Meeting Date: 3/19/1956
• Description: Minutes
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

MR. HEADLEE:

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MR. SVlEET:

riIR. TIPTON:

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4&2 /fo I

"That doesn't coincide with
some of the tests that we have
in mind. Before our water
table was raised there were
no flowing wells west of that.
After we got that water table
near the surface, those wells began
to flow. Now these dry years have
reversed that. Right along
Highway 4, east of Monte Vista near
Alamosa there is a ten inch well.
It is drilled 119 feet deep. When
that well is pumped for thirty
days, every artesian well in thirty
miles will not flow. It takes ninety
days to begin flow after it stops
pumping."

"Mr. Chairman, on much of this subject,
Mr. Tipton has a lot more background
than I. I have gone over many plans
with him, but it might be the Board
would rather hear Mr. Tipton."

"1, personally, don't understand the
present procedure. The first sump
drain investigation started in 1915
by the Dept. of Agriculture and the
Reclamation Service. The Bureau of
Reclamation investigated it in 1918
for the purpose of securing water to
develop lands for soldiers of World
War I. In 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932,
intensive investigations were made
by the State. In 1935 PWA money became
available. $1,000,000 was allocated
for a drain free of cost to anyone except
general taxpayers, the idea being to
replace the 60,000 acre feet that had
been given to Mexico to preserve
international comity. San Luis Valley
Project was authorized in 1940. The
sump drain was considered a part of
the project, but its authorization was
withheld until additional studies were
made. There was a cooperative study
started by three agencies, the Colorado
Water Conservation Board, the Bureau
of Reclamation, and the United States
Geological Survey. Intensive studies
were made to determine how much an open
drain would yield. The estimate was
around 30,000 acre feet.