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l'~: ,~ " . t ~ . ~ . , ~ . ~ . , ~ . ., -"1 rt .. 4 4 ~ , J ~ ." .'~ .~ . - ~ ." 3,0 ACTIONS TAKEN 3.1 COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD (CWCB) Early in May 1987. the CWCB Flood Section informed State and local officials of the high snow content and the possibility of flooding in the San Luis Valley, Snow course readings in the upper Rio Grande Basin indicated 200 percent of normal, This above normal condition suggested flows of the Rio Grande exceeding the channel capacity through several of the communities below the Town of Del Norte. Determination of this condition was made through use of flood prediction models such as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Snow-Tell and the Colorado Division of Water Resources satellite-linked water resources monitoring system, Al though the completed. it crisis. All Phases II. III 1990. Phase I levee construction in Alamosa had been could only offer partial protection during this sections of the levee must be completed, and and IV will not be finished until some time in During a May 1987 Flood Awareness meeting in Alamosa. officials from the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, the San Luis Valley Canal company, the San Luis Valley Irrigation District and the Rio Grande Dam owners contacted the CWCB concerning cleaning the irrigation ditches. The Colorado Division of wildlife attended the initial meeting and expressed water quality concerns with releasing flood water into San Luis lake, 3,2 PRIVATE DITCH OWNERS During the month of May 1987. private interests in the Valley spent in excess of $25,000 in an attempt to rehabilitate the drainage systems near the Town of Center, One farmer in the area has reported fields that are now draining are being planted with alfalfa successfully, Previous attempts by the farmers to plant in these areas was impossible due to the machinery getting stuck in the fields from a high ground water table. In addition to creating a potential benefit for the immediate flood threat. the use of the private money to rehabilitate the drainage systems will permit the continued drainage of the croplands so that in future years the irrigation ditches will be in a better posi tion to take a full head of water during the high water season, 3,3 RIO GRANDE WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT The Rio Grande Water Conservation one-tenth ($15,000) of its current rehabilitate the irrigation drainage District allocated almost budget in an attempt to systems. On May 8, 1987.