Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />EXISTING FACILITIES <br /> <br />Access <br />Rio Grande Reservoir is reached via an unpaved public road. <br />The road, which is connected to State Highway 94, is generally kept <br />open during winter by the county, the dam caretaker, logging <br />companies, or others. The San Luis Valley Irrigation District owns <br />in fee simple the lands on which the dam and outlet works are located. <br />Water impounded by the dam also occupies United States Forest Service <br />land pursuant to a right-of-way issued by the United States under the <br />Act of March 3, 1891 and the Act of May 11, 1898 (the ROW: Pueblo <br />03471). The District is thus in possession of all necessary rights- <br />of-way and other property interests, including access necessary for <br />any ultimate construction activity. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Construction History <br />Rio Grande Dam was constructed in about 1910 through 1913. The <br />dam was originally constructed to a height of about 90 feet. The dam <br />is an earth-fill and rock embankment. Figure 8 shows the plan view <br />and cross section as presented on a drawing made in 1912. The up- <br />stream face of the embankment has a slope of 4:1. The downstream <br />slope is about 1.5:1. <br />The damsite is at the u~per end of a narrow canyon with a steep <br />rock wall on the south side and a talis slide on the north side. TWo <br />cutoff trenches were excavated to a ten foot depth and filled with <br />clay. The trenches were a maximum of 17 feet deep at the northern <br />side where the dam abuts against the landslide. The north slope was <br />reportedly covered with a thin layer of puddle to reduce seepage. <br />According to a 1912 article in "Engineering News Record" concerning <br />the dam construction, all debris and loose rock was removed from the <br />damsite'before.any fi.11 was placed. However" the construction. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-38- <br />