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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />, I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />The Rio Grande Water Conservation District was created in 1967 by Article 48, Title <br /> <br /> <br />37, Colorado Revised Statues. The functions of the Rio Grande Water Conservation <br /> <br /> <br />District include promotion of water projects in the San Luis Valley, development <br /> <br /> <br />of water policy, coordination of legal and engineering matters affecting the Valley <br /> <br /> <br />and assistance to other entities in developing projects. The Rio Grande Water <br /> <br /> <br />Conservation District, as primary sponsor of the Closed Basin Project, contracted <br /> <br /> <br />with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, to construct and <br /> <br /> <br />operate the Closed Basin Project. <br /> <br />There are five conservancy districts (formed under Article 45, Title 37, CRS) in <br /> <br /> <br />the Rio Grande Basin in Colorado. The San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District <br /> <br /> <br />includes areas of Alamosa, Rio Grande and Saguache Counties, is active in matters <br /> <br /> <br />related to mainstem and is the principal sponsor of this study. The Conejos Water <br /> <br /> <br />Conservancy District includes essentially the southern half of Conejos County and <br /> <br /> <br />is the entity which contracted with the Bureau of Reclamation to build and operate <br /> <br /> <br />Platoro Reservoir. The other three conservancy districts are Alamosa-La Jara, <br /> <br /> <br />Costilla, and Trinchera. <br /> <br />The Rio Grande Water Users Association is an organization of 20 of the largest <br /> <br /> <br />ditches which divert from the mainstem of the Rio Grande, and includes companies <br /> <br /> <br />which own and operate the Continental, Rio Grande (Farmer's Union), and Santa Maria <br /> <br /> <br />Reservoirs. There are also other organizations of water users, including the San <br /> <br />Luis Valley Irrigation Well Owners Association, and the Rio Grande Canal Water Users <br /> <br /> <br />Association. <br /> <br />11.4.2. History of Water Development <br /> <br />Development of the water uses in the Rio Grande Basin within Colorado began in the <br /> <br /> <br />early 1850's on the Conejos River. The first appropriation on the Rio Grande <br /> <br /> <br />mainstem was in 1866. Extensive irrigation development on both rivers occurred in <br /> <br /> <br />the period from 1880 to 1890. By 1900, all surface streams in the San Luis Valley <br /> <br /> <br />were considered to be fully appropriated except during periods of much greater than <br /> <br /> <br />average runoff. <br /> <br />17 <br />