WSPC01296

• File Number: 8541
• Description: San Luis Valley Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Title: San Luis Valley Project Closed Basin Division - 1970-1971 - A Report on Closed Basin Division, San Luis Valley Project, Colorado - House Document No. 91-369, 91st Congress, 2d Session
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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61

Colorado \rata Conservc.tion Board, San Luis Valky project, Wagon
~Vheel Gap Reservoir, Platoro Reservoir, Jfogote Reservoir, Glosed
BWlin Drain, vol orne I (text) ami volume II (drawings) by R. J.
Tipton, consulting engineer, Alarch 1939

This report, which ,vas the basis of recommendations adyanced
in House Document 693 nnd the authorized Closed Basin drain,
propo~ed u gm,'ity drain through the Closed Basin along n line
2 to 4 miles west of the previously advocated drain locutions. The
report indicated the drain would provide waters of more suitable
quality ll.nd tl mort' effective outIE't for drainngc of the irrigated lands
in the ClosNI Ba.sill, pnrticularly those lands in the vicinity of .:\105c8.
and Hooper which had bet'n temporurily abandoned due to seeped
conditions. The dl'uin hnd H length of 35 miles und an tl.vernge depth
of S feet. Construction ('ost WfiS estimuted 1\t $420,000~ with annual
costs of $26,000. The yield was estim!ltcd to average about 60,000
acre-feel anllunlly.
::\11'. Tipton evaluated tll(>. downstream effects of the dnlin and
estimuted n $26,000 annual benefit in the ::\.liddle Valley of New
::\.lcxico. Other benefits were 111so discussed.

lIoose Document 693, JanuaT1J 1940, Report on San Luis Valley project,
Colorado

As previouslv stated, this r('port wns the bnsis of the project l1uthor-
iZlltion liud tulVtlllcNI r('eomlllelldlltion~ concerning u Closed Basin
druin uused primllrily oil the findings presented in the report to the
Colorado \VIlter Conservation Board by U, .J. Tipton, consulting
engineer, dttted ~Iarch 1939.

Progress reportjor Glosed Basin Drain, yield oj water 8tudies, San Luis
FaUey project, Colorado, July IS, 19~2, by Robert C. Brown

The drain proposed in this report was along the general alinemcnt
of thH drain propo:sed in Hou:sc Docum('nt 693 and 1 to 6 miles west
of the original Sump Dndn location. This neW location was intended
to provide draina-go for lands irrigated and previously irrigated in the
\;c.mity of ~loscn find Hooper nnd also to recover water of better
quality. Following is a summnry of the t\Stimatcd ,};cld:

Within Closed Basin:
Sllrfacl~ w!ller from Cnrnero. La Garit~'\ and S3guache Crl'Ck:L_____
Runoff from constructC'd dr:\in~ and eanals_______________________
Ground watel'-___ __ ___ -- -- -- - - - -- - - -- -- - --- - - - - - - - - -- -- - - ----

Acre.fed
8,100
6, 100
i.900

~lIbtotal____ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~ __ _ ___ __ _ __ ___ _ _ _ __ _ __ _- - -. ')') 100
Outsidf' of Closed Basin: Saln\ge of "mfnel:' water now lost by evaporatioll_ -5; 600
TotaL _ _ _ __ _ _____ ___ _ ____ _ _______ _ _______ _ _ _ _ ________ - -- -- 2i, iOO
SllPplemrntal report on Rio Grande and n'emin1lche Palls divisions, San
Llli.-: Falle!1 project, Colorado, f)rcember 1955
..:\:-. pr()\'i()ll~ly :"tatl'd) thi:.; r port rt'(,ollllllt'IHIs construction of the
'fngon \\~ht'('1 Gup Ht':,,('r\'oir to furnish an ('~st'nti<d /lnd regulnted
walt'r :.;upply for Innds in tht' Hio Grandt' di\-is,ion s,t'r\'il'e nrea. It also
pnlpO:"I'S, till' in:.;tall11tion on tlIl t'xJlI.rillH'lltnl bnsis of OIll' deep \H']I nlHI
pump jtl~l we:"t l)f till' :\losl'll-Iloopt>r tlrt'll to det(>rminc the possibility
of ;-;/llnl~ng~ for irrigution liSt', ~round Wl1ters no\\- lnst through non-
benefil'ial consumptin' use :llld nl~o to furnish ~ome drainnge relief to