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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />3.4 WATER QUALITY <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />No records of water quality measurements for Turkey Creek itself have <br />been located. However, total dissolved solids in the San Juan River both <br />above and below Turkey Creek (U.S. Geological Survey, 1981 to 1983) range <br />from a low of 60 milligrams per liter (mg/l) during the spring runoff <br />period to a high of 250 mg/l during the late winter. The State Department <br />of Health considers dissolved solids levels of 500 mg/l or less as <br />satisfactory for domestic water. No suspended sediment measurements have <br />been published for either the main stem San Juan River or Turkey Creek. <br />However, treatment plant operators have said that suspended sediment <br />concentrations during spring runoffs and summer thunderstorms have been a <br />major problem. Providing water from storage rather than from direct flow <br />will essentially eliminate this problem, regardless of sediment <br />concentrations in the incoming stream. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />3.5 PROJECT WATER RIGHTS <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />A list of the Town's water rights, and those of the Southwest Water <br />Conservation District (SWWCD) is shown in Table 3.2. A single line diagram <br />showing these rights as well as all rights of record on Turkey Creek is <br />shown on Figure 3.3. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Water rights currently owned by the Town of Pagosa Springs are all <br />located on the San Juan River. A portion of these rights could be <br />transferred to a diversion point on Turkey Creek and could be used for a <br />direct flow diversion with certain stipulations. For example, the <br />transferred water right could not impose a priority call on any existing <br />right on Turkey Creek. Such a transfer is desirable because the senior <br />position could be maintained with respect to other water rights on the San <br />Juan River. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />The primary water right available for filling Snowball Reservoir is <br />the 30 cfs, conditional right for enlargement of the Snowball Ditch. Since <br />this filing was made for all beneficial purposes, it could be used for <br />storage and domestic use without further legal proceedings. It is <br /> <br />3-4 <br />