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<br />UA WC Meetings: Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy Meetings are held the second Thursday of each
<br />Month, commencing at 1 :OOp,m, at the water district office at 339 E. Hwy 50, Salida.
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<br />SEWCD Meetings: The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Monthly Board Meeting for
<br />December was held on Tuesday, December 13,2005 at 11 :00 a,m, at the District Office, Regular Board
<br />Meetings and the Water Activity Enterprise meetings are held the third Thursday of each month, at the
<br />District office, 31717 United Avenue, Pueblo, Colorado, The Water Education Seminar sponsored by the
<br />District, originally scheduled for November, has been postponed to March 2, 2006, to be held at CSU -
<br />Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd., Occihiato Student Center Bldg.
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<br />LA VWCD Meetings: Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Meetings are held the third
<br />Wednesday of every month, held 801 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, Colorado (for more information call
<br />719-254-5115).
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<br />Colorado River Basin
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<br />Update on Construction at Elkhead Reservoir Enlargement: The enlargement project raises the dam
<br />height by 25 feet, increasing water storage from 13,800 to 24,888 acre-feet. As of Dec, 9, construction
<br />that will almost double the size of water storage at the Elkhead Reservoir is as follows
<br />. Spillway - about half of the excavation for the spillway has been completed,
<br />. Outlet Tower - the new outlet works tower nearing completion, The outlets will be screened with
<br />quarter-inch openings to keep the game fish in the reservoir. If the game fish were to escape they
<br />could threaten the endangered Colorado River fishes downstream in the Yampa River, at the
<br />Elkhead Reservoir Dam enlargement.
<br />. Outlet Tunnel - placement of the new outlet pipes was accomplished by tunneling through
<br />bedrock east of the old dam and installing 2-foot and 6-foot pipes, The tunnel was then backfilled
<br />with high-tech low density cellular concrete.
<br />. Dam Embankment - Raising the existing dam by 25 feet will necessitate a wider base made of fill
<br />material on the downstream side of the existing dam. The grout curtain and new clay layer in the
<br />embankment will keep water from seeping through the dam.
<br />. While the reservoir water level will only be raised 20 feet, the additional 5 feet will provide more
<br />flood storage space, The new dam embankment will extend across the valley and bury the
<br />existing county road that currently runs across the top of the dam, A new county road will be built
<br />on the new dam crest.
<br />. County Road Detour - a detour has been constructed across the reservoir basin along old Routt
<br />County Road 78 for eastside residents wanting to travel to Craig, The detour will be in use until
<br />the project is completed in late 2006,
<br />. Wetland Mitigation - higher water levels will submerge existing wetlands, Wetlands mitigation
<br />sites will be created along the County Road 78 detour, on the west ends, at the upstream end, on
<br />an island near the middle of the reservoir, and in Mudd Gulch, Waterfowl nesting on the island
<br />will be isolated from terrestrial predators. All mitigation areas will be planted with wetland brush
<br />and related plants when the reservoir refills in the spring of 2007,
<br />. Recreational Facilities - about $1 million in funding from the project, Colorado State Parks, and
<br />the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (lottery funds) are available for recreational facilities,
<br />An extended and widened boat ramp will be constructed on the west side; the primary
<br />campground will be relocated to the boat ramp area; the East Beach will be rebuilt above the new
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