PROJ00330

• Contract/PO #: C153510
• Contractor Name: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
• Water District: 0
• County: Montezuma
• Bill Number: XB 99-999
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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TOWAOC MUNICIPAL PROJECT
FEASIBILITY REPORT

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION

1. 1 Genera 1

The Towaoc Municipal Project consists in part of the design and construction
of a water supply pipeline of approximately 20 miles in length to serve the
Town of Towaoc on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in southwestern Colorado.
In addi ti on, improvements are to be made to the water di st..; buti on system
within Towaoc.

The general location of the project is shown in Figure 1. The pineline will
convey water by gravity from the Cortez water treatment plant about four miles
northeast of Cortez to the Town of Towaoc whi ch is located approximatel y 16
miles southwest of Cortez. The entire alignment will be within Montezuma
County and in part within the reservation bOIJndaries of the Ute Mountain Ute
Tri be (Tri be).

The area along the proposed pipeline routes changes rapidly in climate and
vegetal cover. The upper reaches of the pipeline are in a zone that receives
an average of 14 inches of precipitation per year, while at the terminal point
in the Town of Towaoc the average rai nfall is only 10 inches per year. The
higher rainfall, plus more abundant irrigation, provides lush pasture land,
tree-canopied farm residence sites, and almost bog-like drainage ways in the
upper portions of the reach. Nearer to Towaoc, the vegetal cover becomes
native grasses, sage brush and arid plant types.

In the regi on of the pi pel i ne, the extreme maximum and mi nimum temperature
range is approximately l050F to _30oF. The average maximum daily temperatures
in the regi on occur duri ng July and range from R60F to 9?oF. In January tile
averaqe mi nimum daily temperatures are from 120F to 150F. The ground
elevation along the pipeline routes is between 6400 feet and 5700 feet.

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1040c