Board Meeting 01/06/1983

• Board Meeting Date: 1/6/1983
• Description: CWCB Meeting - No mins.
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD
823 State Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, COlorado 80203

January 6-7, 1983

Buckeye Reservoir
(Paradox Valley Canal and Reservoir Company)

Introduction

The Buckeye Reservoir is owned by the Paradox Valley Canal
and Reservoir Company, The reservoir provides irrigation water
for twelve families that farm about 2,600 acres of land in the
Paradox Valley.

The dam site is located in the extreme western portion of
Montrose County in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The dam,
which was constructed near the turn of the century, was construc-
ted by hydraulically placing the fill material (hydraulicing) at
the dam site. No provision for a spillway was made.

Problem

Buckeye Reservoir is included on the State Engineer's list of
dams requiring rehabilitation because of deficiencies in the pre-
sent embankment and insufficient spillway capacity. Storage is
presently limited to 900 acre-feet.

project Study

In July, 1980, the company submitted an application to the
Colorado Water Conservation Board for assistance for the Buckeye
Reservoir project. Subsequent to that, a feasibility study was
initiated. Before the feasibility study was completed and acted
upon by the Board, the legislature authorized the project for
construction (S. B. 439 , 1981 Session). The authorization was
for 100 percent of the then estimated construction cost of
$100,000, repayable over 40 years as with other projects.

When the feasibility study was completed, it indicated the
need for further geotechnical investigations. These were
subsequently performed and show that substantially more expensive
repairs are needed than was originally anticipated.

proposed project

The Buckeye Reservoir was originally designed to hold 4,500
acre-feet of water. For unknown reasons, the dam was never com-
plete~ to its designed height. The dam has the physical appear-
ance of a truncated pyramid, with the base being approximately

600
Buckeye/Res