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<br />(, <br />-<3-03 <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />not contemplate maintenance of the mlnlmum stream flows, <br />acquisition of lands for winter range, or provision of <br />8,000 acre-feet of Rio Grande flows annually to the <br />Monte Vista National Wildlife Development, as recommended <br />by the Fish and Wildlife Service. <br /> <br />An amount of $198,100 was included as an annual cost <br />of the project. This.was estimated by the Fish and <br />Wildlife Service to be the net loss to game and fish <br />resources which would result from the project. <br /> <br />A farm budget analysis under conditions with and <br />without. the project was made in order to determine the <br />repayment ability of project lands. As a result of the <br />analysis, it was estimated that with a full water supply <br />the irrigators could pay an average of $5.65 per acre <br />per year on construction costs, operation and maintenance <br />and increased costs of administering their district. The <br />effect of ~hortages as taken into consideration, and it <br />was calculated that the average annual payment capacity <br />would be reduced to $5.31 per acre. If this rate is <br />applied to the 224,340 acres of land (classes 1, 2, 3 and <br />4), the result is, an average annual payment capacity of <br />$1,191,200. OiLthed::>asis of a 40-year repayment period <br />an average annual water charge of $1.37 per acre would be <br />required to repay the irrigation allocation of construction <br />cost and provide for operation and maintenance, after a <br />5-year development period. <br /> <br />In order that the project could be operated in <br />compliance with the Rio Grande Compact, consent agree- <br />ments would be necessary among the irrigators ,to be <br />served, subordinating direct flow rights in the interest <br />of obtaining a regulated water supply through storage, as <br />a prerequisite to construction of the Wagon Wheel Gap <br />Dam. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />This report recommends, as did the 1953 report, that <br />supplemental authorization of the Weminuche Pass not be <br />sought, without prejudice to future re-examination. <br /> <br />A report of the Fish and Wildlife Service on fish <br />and wildlife resources, San Luis Valley Project, Rio Grande <br />Division, is attached to the Bureau of Reclamation report. <br />