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<br />","",c <br />" <br /> <br />... nn1204 <br /> <br />- ",- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'J,___. _ ~ . <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The plan of development includes a conveyance channel to'transport the pumped <br />waters to the Rio Grande. This conveyance channel will be about 42 miles long, <br />vary from 4 to 22 feet in bottom width and 2.0 to 4.7 feet in depth, with a <br />design capacity ranging from 20 to 160 ft3/s. <br /> <br />III. Description of Project Area <br /> <br />A. Climate <br /> <br />f;.J <br />I."i <br />'_.1 <br /> <br />Cold winters, moderate summers, light precipitation and an abundance of sunshine <br />are typical of this arid high altitude basin. The mean annual temperatures are <br />quite low, averaging 43.60F. Days with maximum temperatures in the middle 80's <br />and minimums in the low 40's are characteristic of the summer months. During the <br />spring and early summer months, winds are strong with occasional slowing dust. <br />Winter temperatures are predominantly low, frequently l50F to -30 F. Winds are <br />light during the coldest weather. The growing season averages about 110 days; <br />July and August usually are the only frost-free months. <br /> <br />Average annual precipitation is dependent on elevation. The valley floor receives <br />7 to 10 inches yearly; the foothills receive 9 to 14 inches. The project area lies <br />generally within the 7 to 8 inch rainfall area. Eighty percent of the average annuc <br />precipitation occurs from April to October, most of it in the form of scattered <br />thundershowers. Hail occurs frequently during these storms. Snow contributes <br />approximately 15 percent to the average annual precipitation of the valley. Rela- <br />tive humidity averages about 76 percent in the early mornings to around 40 <br />percent during the afternoons. <br /> <br />B. Streams <br /> <br />'4 <br />W <br /> <br />I <br />.j <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />The Rio Grande is the major stream draining the San Luis Valley; it is not <br />located within the project area. The Conejos River, to the south, is one of <br />the Rio Grande's major tributaries. As the Rio Grande flows south into <br />New Mexico, it is deeply entrenched in the Rio Grande Canyon from the State line <br />south to the Embudo-Velarde vicinity. This gorge, which includes the section of <br />the Rio Grande designated as a National Wild and Scenic River, is about 76 miles <br />long. Within the gorge area, the river accrues water from natural springs, and <br />the volume of flows increase. <br /> <br />["1 <br /> <br />1. Surface Flows <br /> <br />Surface waters flow into the Closed Basin from the Sangre De Cristo Mountains <br />on the east and the San Juan Mountains on the west. These mountains converge <br />to form the northern boundary of the San Luis Valley. There is no surface outlet <br />from the Closed Basin into the Rio Grande and surface waters flow toward the sump <br />and collect in lakes and seasonally indundated depressions; seep into the uncon- <br />fined aquifer; or are removed by evaporative processes and biotic uses. Evaporatiol <br />can remove up to 54 inches of water per year and is the major cause of surface <br />water losses in the sump area. <br /> <br />Water from the streams and springs (1) is used for irrigation purposes on hay <br />meadows, (2) is consumptively used by plant transpiration, (3) evaporates from <br />moist soils and shallow ponds and lakes, or (4) seeps into the unconfined aquifer. <br /> <br />-, -3 <br />