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<br /> <br />~~23J~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />end separates the Closed Basin from the Rio Grande. Plate I shows <br />the location of project features. <br /> <br />The purpose of the project is to salvage unconfined ground water <br />and available surface flows in the Closed Basin now being lost <br />through evapotranspiration by salt grass, rabbit brush, greasewood, <br />and other vegetation. The salvaged water is to be delivered along <br />a conveyance channel to the Rio Grande and thus permit delivery of <br />additional Rio Grande flows to the States of New Mexico and Texas <br />in accordance with the provisions of the Rio Grande Compact. <br /> <br />The present plan contemplates salvaging about 100,800 acre-feet <br />of water annually, of which about 85,600 acre-feet would be pumped <br />ground water and 15,200 acre-feet would be surface water. <br /> <br />Pumping operations would be carried on through the entire year in <br />order to maintain the ground-water levels at least 8 feet below <br />the ground level over selected areas totaling about 109,000 acres. <br />They would effectively deprive the native vegetation of moisture <br />over a large area and would regularly deliver a flow in eXcess of <br />100 second-feet of water to the Rio Grande at a point about 10 <br />miles southeast of Alamosa, Colorado. <br /> <br />The existing channel of Saguache Creek would be modified along a <br />5-mile stretch east of Colorado State Highway No. 17. The channel <br />capacity would be about 40 second-feet. <br /> <br />A main conveyance channel, about 39 miles long, would be construc- <br />ted beginning where Saguache Creek crosseS Colorado State Highway <br />No. 17, thence southeast along the west side of San Luis Lake and <br />south of the confluence of the Rio Grande with La Jara Creek. A <br />conne~ting channel, about one-half mi Ie long, with a capacity of <br />., <br />158 second-feet, would be constructed between San Luis Lake and <br />the main conveyance channel. Outlets would be provided at the <br />lower end of the main channel to provide water for the Alamosa <br />National Wildlife Refuge. <br /> <br />In the area south of San Luis Lake, it is planned to salvage only <br />the better quality water moving toward the sump from the east side. <br />The salvaged water would be collected in a channel east of the main <br />conveyance channel extending in a southerly direction from a point <br />about 3.5 miles southeast of San Luis Lake to its confluence with <br />the main conveyance channel about a mile north of U. S. Highway <br />No. 160. The initial capacity of the collecting channel would be <br />10 second-feet, gradually increasing to 52 second-feet where it <br /> <br />