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<br />OOQ12~
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<br />~l(lmorundum.
<br />Tn: Rel2iontll Dirrctor, Bun'IHI of Rec!uInutioll, Rt'gioll 5. Amnrillo,
<br />l' ,
<br />ex.
<br />From: Regiollul Director.
<br />Subject.: Clo~.wd Bu:'>in division, Slln Lui:-; Valley prnj(>(;t. Cnlorado-
<br />Bllfefl,U of Sport Fisheri('s und \Vildlife Hepurt.
<br />l{<'spollse is to YUill' memorandum of September 3, 1968. in \dlich
<br />YOII requested the updat.ing of our Burellu's prior reports 011 this
<br />P!o)ect for use in tllt' preparation.of your revisNI fPllSlbility [eport.
<br />1 I 11:'> IIIrlllorundllm sUjJHsedps prevIous f('ports of the Burt'HlI of Sport
<br />.F'ish(lries and \Yildlife dated Dt.'l'cmher 9, 1960, und sllpplcIlu~nts
<br />dated .June 24,1963, and .\lay 20,1968.
<br />This report hilS been prepared in cooperation with tilt' Colorado
<br />Di\"ision of Gaul(', Fish, lind Parks find the New '\It'xico Depllftment
<br />of Game and Fish in lll'cordnm'(' with tIll' pro,'isiolls of tlH' Fish and
<br />\Vildlife Coordinlltion Ad, (48 Stltl. 401, ns nmpndE'd; 16 U.S.C. 661
<br />e!: Sf'q.). C()lICllrrl'.n('~~ in. the rp\)ort. by the Colorudo Divbion of GUIlle,
<br />Fish, IUHI Pllrks IS HHhcutcd JY the t'llclospd cop,\' of II idler dHted
<br />.August 28,1969, siglH'd hyDin'ctor Hurry R. \Yood,ntrd. This n'jlort
<br />ulso hIlS recein.d ('OIlCtllTenee of the :\ew :\ll'xit'o Dppartment of
<br />Gume nnd Fish as indicnted in tlw uUnched Idter dllt-ed Julv 11, 1969,
<br />signed by Lucid S. Gordon, Direct.or. ~
<br />'The Closed Basin, n 2,940-sqtlnn~-mile nrea locnted nort.h of ~lontc
<br />Vistn nnll AlnJl1osu, is in the northern portion of the San Luis Volley
<br />of sotlth-ct~ntrnl Colorado. The vnlley rungcs in elevation from nbout
<br />,,500 to 8,000 fed nbovc tIwtln sea levpl. 'I'll<' Closed llnsin is u sump
<br />into which se,'erttl {:reeks und Rio Grunde irrigntion divt'rsions drnin.
<br />The San .Juun ~lountllins on tll(' west and the Snngre de Cristo
<br />:\loulltnills 011 t.he east nwrge to form the northern boundary of the
<br />bm.in. A low alhn;ul tlividc nt the SOtlthl'fIl ('nd sl'lHlrlltCs the Clost'd
<br />Basin from the Rio Grundt'. Plnle 1 shows t.he locntion of project
<br />fentun~s.
<br />The purpose of lh,' projl'{'t i~ to saIYlig'f' uncollfineti ground wlll('r
<br />llnd ll\'uilnhlt, EndueI' flows in tIlt' Closed Basin tlnw being lost
<br />through c,'npotrnnspirntioll by salt gruss, rabbit bru:-,h) greast'wood,
<br />nnd otlH'r \'eg'etntioll. Thp snlnlg'cd wntf'r is to lw dt'li\'l'red along n
<br />('on"C'.pHlCI' ehunnel to tlH' Hin Grllndt' llIld thus 1)f'I'Jllit th'iin.ry. of
<br />ndditioI1nl Rio GnmdC' flows to tht' Stntes of ~ew :\ll'xico und Texus
<br />in ~H'cordum'{' with tlw pwvisiolls of the Rio Grnnde Compact.
<br />Thp prl':-\ent plllll ('ontl'tllplntl's slllnlging nboul 100,800 acre-fl'et of
<br />wntrr Hnnulllly, of which about 55,600 IlCTe-fl'('l would be pumlwd
<br />g-ronnd Wllh'r and 15,200 IH'I'P-fl't't would be :-,urfnt'e wnter.
<br />Pumping OIWriltions would IJl' enrrit'd Oil through tht' entire yeur in
<br />order to rnaintnin the ground-wllter le\'('ls at It'l1st S f('l.t odow thr
<br />ground If'n,J ovpr st'lt'etf't! arN1.S totuling llhnut 109,000 1\('I'es. The\'
<br />would efft'cli,'e1y df'pri\'(' till' nalin' \"f'g't'tll.tion of 1l1.Oisture on'r ;1.
<br />large lli't'H and would [('gulnrly d(.livt'r a How in ('X('(l:-,S of 100 ~t'l'Olld-
<br />f('('t of WItter to tht' Hio GrtHldl' at tl point about 10 miles southellst of
<br />A11l1l10S111 Colo.
<br />
<br />DEPART~If';:-;T OF THE I:-'-TERIOR,
<br />FISH AXil \\~ILDLI}o'g SERVICE,
<br />BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AXU \\~II.lH,In;,
<br />Albuquerque, iV. .ller., September 10. 1969.
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