PROJ00527

• Contract/PO #: FS0024X
• Contractor Name: Florida Water Conservancy District
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: La Plata
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

The drainage area for the Florida River above the Lemon Dam
site is 68 square miles and varies in elevation from 7950 feet at
the dam site to more than 13,000 feet at the headwaters, which
originate in the Needle Mountains about ten miles southwest of the
Continental Divide.

Inflow data have been derived since 1973 from measurements at
a stream gage station maintained and operated by the State of
Colorado "at the Florida River, above Lemon Reservoir" and indi-
cates that the recorded inflows range from a maximum of 1140 cfs
to a minimum of 3.0 cfs. The estimated annual runoff for the nine
year period is 57,000 AF.

Releases recorded between mid-October and April 30 (the non-
irrigation season) are relatively constant, with releases between
9-13 cfs occurring almost all of the time. Occasionally a 7 cfs
or 16 cfs release occurs. During late November and early Decem-
ber, a week long release of 30-50 cfs is made for stock watering.
During the irrigation season, the releases range from 50-1,000
cfs. Generally releases above 350 cfs result from spills when the
reservoir is full.

The data related to downstream releases and reservoir capac-
ity and elevation for 1974 and 1977 are presented in Table 5.l.
Also included in this table are the reservoir elevations and
capacity for the spring, following the dry year.

The reservoir's active capacity is 39,000 AF (620 acres) with
900 AF inactive capacity and 400 AF dead storage capacity. Figure
5.1 depicts the elevations, areas and capacity for pertinent para-
meters associated with the operation of the reservoir.

Table 5.2 identifies the historic October reservoir eleva-
tions according to year, area and capacity.

5.0-B