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. SUMMARY . Rio Grande Reservoir is located on the main stem of the Rio Grande, about 20 miles southwest of Creede, Colorado. The maximum capacity of the reservoir is slightly in excess of 52,000 acre- feet and the dam height is nearly 100 feet. The San Luis Valley Irrigation District has utilized Rio Grande Reservoir to store irrigation water for nearly 70 years. Water is released to irrigate 45,000 acres wi thin the "Closed Basin" of the San Luis Valley. With the advent of the Federal Dam Safety Program, the Corps of Engineers has classifed Rio Grande Dam as a high hazard structure primarily because of the large volume of water stored behind the dam. A preliminary analysis of the dam for the Corps of Engineers indicated that the dam could not safely pass a probable maximum flood and that the dam may not be stable. The recommendation was made that the owner of the dam should conduct a detailed hydrological and geotechnical evaluation. By means of an advance from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the San Luis Valley Irrigation District retained W. W. Wheeler and Associates, Inc. and Chen and Associates to perform the necessa ry ana I yses and prepa re th is "Ri 0 Grande Dam Rehabilitation Feasibility Report." By agreement between the San Luis Valley Irrigation District, the Rio Grande Water Users Association, and the State Engineer, since 1979 Rio Grande Reservoir has been used by the State of Colorado for Rio Grande Compact Administration. In 1979, the State Engineer stored 29,000 acre-feet (56 percent of capaci ty) of "compact water" in the reservoir. This storage of ''Compact water" in the reservoir allows the State Engineer to minimize over-deliveries of water to New Mexico and, therefore, allows Colorado to utilize almost all of its full Compact entitlement on the Rio Grande. Without use of Rio Grande Reservoir, this would not be possible. Rio Grande Reservoir . -3-