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<br />") <br /> <br />PUBLIC HEAmH SERVICE <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />In accordance with the memorandum of understanding of September 28, <br />1956, between the Bureau of Reclamation, Region 4, Department of the <br />Interior, and the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Educa- <br />tion, and Welfare, consideration has been given to the public health <br />aspects of the Bureau of Reclamation's potential Dolores Project, <br />Colorado, <br /> <br />In making this evaluation, the Public Health Service wishes to <br />acknowledge the assistance of the Colorado State Department of Public <br />Health. <br /> <br />Description of Project <br /> <br />j <br /> <br />The potential Dolores Project is located in Dolores and Montezuma <br />Counties in southwestern Colorado. The project would further develop <br />the water resources of the Dolores River for additional irrigation in <br />the San Juan River Basin and aJ.so provide municipaJ. and industrial water, <br />recreation, fish and wildlife, and flood control benefits. <br /> <br />.,'j <br /> <br />The Dolores River, the principal source of water for the project, <br />rises in the San Miguel and La Plata Mountains of the San Juan range <br />in southwestern Colorado. The river flows southwest to a point near the <br />town of Dolores, then turns abruptly to the northwest. The Dolores River <br />crosses the Utah-Colorado boundary and enters the Colorado River about 25 <br />miles northeast of Moab, Utah. The Dolores River drainage area includes <br />about 4,500 square miles. The major tributary of the Dolores River is <br />the San Miguel River which lies wholly within the State of Colorado. <br /> <br />Under the potential project plan the McPhee Reservoir with initial <br />active capacity of 211,500 acre-feet would be created by construction <br />of a dam on the Dolores River about 10 miles downstream from the town <br />of Dolores. Total initial capacity of the reservoir would be about <br />364,000 acre-feet. A second dam, Great Cut, would be located in a <br />saddle in the divide between the San Juan and the Dolores River Basins <br />about 5 miles upstream from McPhee Dam. A dike would be required to <br />protect the lower portion of the town of Dolores. All project waters <br />would be realeased from the reservoir at the Great Cut Dike to the Dove <br />Creek Canal from which additional diversions will be made to serve the <br />Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company. <br /> <br />The new Dove Creek Canal would extend northwest 68 miles from <br />McPhee Reservoir to serve lands now unirrigated near the t01,'IlS of Cahone <br />and Dove Creek and supply municipal and industrial water for Dove Creek. <br /> <br />117 <br />