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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I broad basins in the west. In general, the area slopes to the northwest with elevations within the boundaries of the study area varying from 7,300 feet at the upper end of Wright's Mesa to about 5,900 feet in the lower areas of the West Lilylands and Dry Creek Basin. Mountain peaks in the vicinity of the study area with elevations in excess of 14,000 feet are common, The climate of the study area is temperate and characteristic of the semi-arid southwestern United States, with low precipitation and humidity, wide differences between daily high and low temperatures, abundant sunshine and high evaporation rates, In the higher elevations of the study area, summers are mild while the winters can be severe, In the lower elevations of the study area, periods of hot weather can occur during the summer but the winters are typically mild. Average annual precipitation depths within the study area range from approximately 14 inches in the NOIwood-Redvale area to 12 inches in the West Lilylands area. More than half of the annual precipitation falls during the growing season, but its occurrence is quite erratic. Surface drainage of the San Miguel study area is provided by a system of streams which flow generally from southeast to northwest and into the San Miguel River, Within the study area the important tributaries to the San Miguel River are, from downstream to upstream, Naturita Creek, Beaver Creek, Saltado Creek and Fall Creek (see Figure II-I). Streamflows originate mostly from snowmelt runoff from the mountains along the southern edge of the study area. Because snowmelt is the major source of streamflow in the area, streamflows are distributed very unevenly throughout the year. Streamflows are very high during the spring but low during the rest of the year. Existine Institutions Irrigation water rights in the study area have been established since the late 1800's. The various companies which constructed ditches and storage reservoirs have evolved into the three major companies that now exist. They are; the Farmers' Water Development Company (which operates the Gurley System), the Lone Cone Ditch and Reservoir Company, and the Lilylands Canal and Reservoir Company. Distribution ditches of these organizations deliver an average of approximately 28,000 acre-feet (at) per year to a total service area of about 14,000 acres; however, a significant portion of this quantity is wasted during the early part of the irrigation season due to inadequate storage capacity in the reservoirs. In addition, the privately owned J & M Hughes Ditch brings an average of approximately 1,000 acre-feet per year from Fall Creek and Saltado Creek to high elevation irrigated pastureland on Beaver Mesa. This ditch is of interest to the project because of the potential for additional diversion from Fall Creek to the project service area Table II-I presents a summary of the ditch company organizations and facilities. 11-2