WSPC02054

• File Number: 8064.100
• Description: Ute Tribes
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 9/1/1989
• Author: Harris Water Enginee
• Title: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe - Delores Project Irrigation - Small Reclamation Loan Application Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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5. Location

The
Towaoc
Cortez
Towaoc.
feet MSL
from the
MSL.

irrigated land is located about 8 miles southwest of
and about 10 miles north of the four corners monument.
is the nearest city, which is about 12 miles north of
The lands to be irrigated range in elevation from 5500
to 5050 feet MSL. The land slopes to the south away
Towaoc-Highline canal which is at elevation 5650 feet

In the
the project
u.s. Highway
transportation
area to U.s.
improved access

short term the major transportation routes through
area will be the Aneth Road to Towaoc, from which
666 can be accessed. There is a long range
plan suggesting a major road from the project
Highway 160 on the south, which would provide
to markets in Arizona and California.

6. Climate

The climate in the portion of the Reservation where the
Dolores Project irrigated land is located, is the warmest in the
Dolores Project and one of the warmest in the State of Colorado.
The land is located between elevations 5,100 feet and 5,500 feet
which is about the same or a little lower in elevation than the
Navajo Indian Irrigation Project or the City of Grand Junction,
Colorado. The climate at those locations allows a much greater
range of crops to be grown, including fruits and vegetables,
compared to most areas of Colorado and particularly southwest
Colorado. The land is also south-facing which will result in a
greater availability of solar radiation which is necessary for
cro~ 9rowth. The growing season for the area is about 200 days,
beg1nn1ng in mid-April and extending through the end of October.

A weather station was installed in the project area by BIA,
between blocks 6000 and 1000 in 1983, in preparation for water
rights litigation. The station was established to collect
temperature, solar radiation and rainfall data. The equipment
did not operate correctly and only the data in 1987 and 1988 is
reliable. The rainfall data is not, however, reliable because
dirt blew into the gage and caused malfunctions. The result is
that the temperature and solar radiation for April through
October during 1987 and 1988 is the only reliable data from the
weather station. This data is included in Table A-I in Appendix
A.

The Bureau of Reclamation, in the 1977 DPR, estimated the
temperature for the project area for crop consumptive use
calculations. The estimates were based upon weather stations in
nearby cities.

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