Laserfiche WebLink
<br />OC:'.J73 <br /> <br />as the Nort;lsr:J Colorado .Jater Conservanoy District whioh contracted with the <br /> <br /> <br />United States for the construction of the Colorado-3ig Tl".ornpson frojeot. Under <br /> <br /> <br />the Color~do law the District is eppowered to leTJ a limited ad valorem tax ~ <br /> <br /> <br />~ll ?ropcr~J i~ the ~istrict and also to dispose of water undor oo~tract. <br /> <br />DBSCRI,T IOI; OF COllEJOS PROJECT lJ'3A <br /> <br />The land located within the Conejos Water Ccnservar.oy District lias in <br /> <br /> <br />the southwest corner of the San Luis Valley in the south cC~'l.tral part of Colo- <br /> <br /> <br />rado. !he san Luis Valley is a plain approximately 90 miles from north to south <br /> <br /> <br />and 50 miles from east to west. The altitude of the valley floor rB.ll{;es frOt'l <br /> <br /> <br />7.440 feet on the south to 8,000 feet around its rim. The surroundl~~ mountai~s <br /> <br /> <br />attain altitudes from 10#000 to 14#000 feet. The Vall~J is drained by the Rio <br /> <br /> <br />Grande, a:1 iaterstate a:J.d international strear.l arising in colorado, flowi:oe. <br /> <br />southward for more than 400 ~les aoross Haw Mexico and then forming the bound- <br /> <br /> <br />ary botween Texas and the Republic of ~xico for about 1250 miles to its mouth <br /> <br /> <br />in the Gulf of l1exioo. The Conejos river 1:3 the principal tributary of the Rio <br /> <br /> <br />Grande in Colorado. This stream flows northe~sterl] from its source in high <br /> <br /> <br />mOlL'ltaias. T:le elevatioa of the Conejos hnds is 7,700 feet above sea level. <br /> <br />The aXlual preoipitation as reoorded since 1906 at Hanqssa, a srlall town within <br /> <br /> <br />the boundaries of the District, hns averaged sli&htly under 7 inohes annually. <br /> <br /> <br />The browin:; senson is about 99 days. TllS tr.nnsition from spring to Su:nT.l.er and <br /> <br /> <br />fran sucrner to fall is very abrupt, resulting 1a a m~im~~ of available time <br /> <br /> <br />both !or the planting a.."1.d for the harvesti:1S of crops. <br /> <br /> <br />The area is oho.racterited by shallow und ooarse soils havin;:; a low water <br /> <br /> <br />ho1di:.J.G capacit:y. Under substantia.l portions of the irrigated area the subsoil <br /> <br /> <br />is ooarse oo-nsistb.; l3.rgely of gravel. These qualities of the soil ;13.ve affect-o <br /> <br />ed m~teri~lly the type of irriQatio~ vhich is practical to use i~ the area. <br /> <br />- 4 - <br />