PROJ00518

• Contract/PO #: C153484
• Contractor Name: San Luis Valley Water Conservation District
• Contract Type: Grant
• Water District: 0
• County: Rio Grande
• Bill Number: FSG
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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The Closed Basin division of the San Luis Valley Project was authorized by Public

Law 92-514, dated October 20, 1972 and modified by Public Law 96-375 (October 3,

1980) and Public Law 98-570 (October 30, 1984). The major modifications in PL 96-

375 included the deletion of surface water salvage (as originally proposed in PL

92-514), and an increase in the size of the ground water salvage area and the number

of wells to allow the project to achieve the yields previously estimated with

surf ace water salvage. Public Law 98-570 set as, 300 acre-foot annual limit on

Closed Basin Project deliveries to the Alamosa and Blanca Wildlife areas.

Construction on the first of the five Closed Basin Project construction stages was

initiated in 1980. The 10 year construction schedule will allow the design of each

stage to be refined, if required, on the basis of data collected in t~e

construction, testing and operation phases of previous stages. Construction is

expected to be completed in the early 1990's.

V.2 PROJECT PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES

The Project is a response to the Valley's need to develop a reliable source of
water which (USBR, 1984):

1.

Could assist the State of Colorado in meeting its commitments to the States

of New Mexico and Texas as required by the Rio Grande Compact.

Could be developed a) without significantly disturbing the existing local

pattern of water use, b) without disturbing the environment, c) without damage

to important archeological and historic sites, and d) with minimum adverse

social and economic effect.

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Could enhance recreational opportunities.

4. Could provide wildlife benefits.

V.3 PROJECT FEATURES AND OPERATION

The Closed Basin Project design calls for approximately 170 wells spread out over

an area of approximately 130,000 acres of sump area (see Closed Basin Division area

on Figure V-I). The project design calls for the wells to be spaced and pumped at

a rate so that over the Project area the water table will be lowered by an average

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