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<br />1,0 PURPOSE <br /> <br />The purposes o[ this report are: <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />To gather all the basic data from the Corps of <br />Soil Conservation Service. and U, S, Geological <br />prepare this reconnaissance level survey, <br /> <br />r:n'lineers, <br />Survey and <br /> <br />o This report will assist the Town of San Luis in sE!lection <br />of an en'lineering firm to conduct a Master Draina'le Study <br />concerning surface and subsurface ~~ter problems facin'l the <br />community. <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />This report will serve as a resource of <br />information to the Draina'le Study Contractor, <br /> <br />",vai lable <br /> <br />2,0 REPORT AREA <br /> <br />2,1 History of Area <br /> <br />The town of San Luis was settled in 1851 by a 'lroup o[ <br />colonists moving north [rom Taos and Santa Fe. The settlers <br />joined their homes together into a compact communal ractan'lle, <br />or placita. for protection from Indian depredations. As legend <br />has it the settlers named the plaza, San Luis de Culebra <br />because their arrival coincided with the [east o[ San Luigi. <br />2 The early settlers were besieged by the Ute Indians, who <br />did not consider the San Luis Valley empty, In 1852 the U.S. <br />Army established a fort (Fort Massachusetts. later moved and <br />called Fort Garland) to protect the settlers. and by the early <br />1870's all of the Utes had been "removed" from the San Luis <br />Valley,2 <br /> <br />In 1861 the Territory of Colorado was created and most of the <br />Sangre de Cristo grant area was included in Colorado. Costilla <br />County was one of the original counties with San Luis as the <br />County seat.2 The U,S. Census of 11l60. reported the town of <br />San Luis as having a population of 1700. The early settlers <br />were a'lricultural and pastoral and secured land where "rater for <br />irrigation was available, The Pueblo Indians used irri'lation <br />techniques at the time of the SpaniSh exploration, It was <br />Spanish colonial law based on the legal codes of Spain. which <br />regulated the irrigation practices i.n the settlements, 3 The <br />oldest water right for irri'lation in Colorado is the ~;an Luis <br />People's Ditch. which has priority numuer one dated April 10, <br />1852, <br /> <br />The 1986 population o[ San Luis was reported to be 942. The <br />average value o[ single family Dwellinqs is $ 40.000 with an <br />average rental rate o[ $ 79, <br /> <br />-1-- <br />