PROJ00505

• Contract/PO #: C153419
• Contractor Name: San Miguel Water Conservancy District
• Water District: 0
• County: San Miguel
• Bill Number: XB 99-999
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Lone Cone Reservoir is located in San MJguel County, Colorado 10 miles

south of Norwood. The existing reservoir has a capacity of about 1,800

acre-feet and serves farm lands in the Norwood-Redvale area. This project

proposes the enlargement of Cone Reservoir by 4,000 acre-feet to a total

capacity of 5,800 acre-feet. This enlargement will require increasing the

maximum dam height from its present 25 feet to 44 feet. The crest of the

enlarged dam will be at elevation 8344 feet above sea level. Total length of

the enlarged dam and dikes will be about one mile.

The reservoir will be filled by feeder ditches which collect water from

drainages both to the east and west of the reservoir site. Natural drainage

area tributary to the reservoir is negligible, thus spillway requirements will

be minimal.

Estimated construction cost of the project is $1,438,000. With allowances

for contingencies, engineering and land acquisition the total e.'timated cost

increases to $2,025,000. Assuming a two year construction period and 50%

funding through a water board loan, annual project repayment costs would be

$231,570 per year or $57.90 per acre-foot of storage space. Annual direct

benefits resulting from increased production are estimated to be $58.73 per

acre-foot. Thus, even without consideration of substantial indirect benefits

to the immediate area and to the state as a whole, the project merits

consideration for construction.

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Generally the figures presented above are believed to be conservative. In

the report that follows, construction details and an alternate construction

method is presented which, if ultimately proved acceptable, would reduce

repayment costs to $48.80 per acre-foot. If funding under the Federal Small

Reclamation Projects Act could be made available, the annual cost could

conceivably be reduced to about $30 per acre-foot.

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