BOARD01982

• Board Meeting Date: 7/30/1976
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

MR. LARSON: Members of the Board and ladies and gentlemen, it's
certainly good to be with you this morning.

Feasibility studies for the Uncompahgre Improvement Investigation began
in 1974 with the organization of multi-objective planning teams, and
with public meetings held in Montrose, Delta, Olathe, and Gunnison.
~he study is following the principles and standards set forth by the
Water Resources Council. Our recommended completion date is June of
1978.

The main objective of the study is to reduce the increasing costs of
operating the project and to provide additional storage water for
periods of peak irrigation use. Here we see a map depicting the agri-
culture lands of the Uncompahgre project. Those lands shown in green
are those eligible to receive water from the Dallas Creek project.

The initial storage reservoir for the pr,9g.ect is Taylor Park, high on
the Taylor River about thirty miles above Gunnison. Water from the
reservoir, plus diverted flows from the Gunnison Riv.er and also the
Uncompahgre River and its tributaries, make up the water supply for the
project lands. This is a portion of the lands shown here on California
and Ash mesas near Delta. Principal crops grown include sugar beets,
corn, onions, pinto beans, and fruit.

. '
One of the major concerns of the water users and purposes of the inves-
tigation is to analyze ways of reducing the escalating operation and
maintenance costs of the project. As we see here, back around 1940,
the annual operating costs were around $100,000 a year. In 1970, they
were around ~500,000 a year, and they are rapidly approaching $750,000
a year now. I would like to spend just a few.minutes going over some
of the reasons fDr this increase, in addition to the inflationary trends
of our time.

I

.
The early features were almost entirely of wood construction, and Dver
the years the wood decayed and replacement was necessary at periodic
intervals. Here's an early view of Loutzenhizer Diversion Dam. Other
examples are the Selig Diversion Dam shown here. you'!l notice here
that this has been helped a little bit with some concrete structures
around its base.

Here's the wood construction of the Coal Creek Diversion Dam west of
Montrose. Another wood construction feature and one of the needed
replacements at this time is the East Canal Diversion Dam and headworks
just out.of Olathe.

Even smaller turnouts and divider boxes are made of wood, and need I
constant repair. Here's a view of some of the small turnouts and
divider boxes that you'll find throughout the Uncompahgre project.
There are approximately 5,000 of such structures in the project today.
These ,wooden structures do an ample job, but over the years it's
costly to keep repairing 'them. Even mai~taining the East Canal through
Olathe requires constant replacement programs, in addition to being
quite a safety hazard.

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